The Epistle to the Romans
Unfortunately, Romans is placed in Bibles as the first of Paul's epistles primarily for its length, although it was his 5th or 6th epistle, written between 55-57 AD. Considered by many to be the crown jewel of the New Testament, it shows how quickly Paul's revelation of justification had coalesced into its final written form, and the epistle became the cornerstone of Christian thought as the faith made its final divorce from the Jewish understanding of the Scriptures, righteousness, and justification.
Just how the Roman church came into existence is a complete mystery. The best guess made by scholars is that some Roman Jews who were in Jerusalem during the events of Acts 2 converted and returned home--probably with one or two unknown elders--to spread word that the Messiah had come. The church quickly flourished, incorporating both Jews and Gentiles into it until violence flared up between Christian and Orthodox Jews in the time of Claudius, resulting in the Jews being expelled from Rome for a time (49 AD). By the time of this epistle, some Jews had apparently returned to Rome, for the letter clearly is written to both Jew and Gentile.
Many miss the fact that this epistle was brought to Rome by Phoebe (16:1-2). In doing so, she would have read the document to the church there, speaking in a tone that conveyed Paul's overall emotions as he wrote the letter. (Which was a custom of the time.) She would also have explained--i.e. taught--any passages that needed further clarification.
This would certainly call into question the claim of some that Paul forbade women to teach men under any circumstances. (He was actually referring to wives and husbands, as we'll see in our study.)
Finally, I recommend reading Galatians and Romans together, since parts are closely related.
CHAPTER 1 |
CHAPTER 1 |
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle1, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God2 with power, according to the spirit of holiness3, by the resurrection from the dead:4 5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: 7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit5 in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; 10 Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift6, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles7. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians8; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.9 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith10: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;11 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.12 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;13 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection,14 implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. |
1-4 Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, who has been called to be an apostle, and separated to proclaim the “Good News” of God which He had promised in earlier times by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was descended, humanly speaking, from King David, and declared to be Messiah by God’s demonstration of power through the Holy Spirit in resurrecting him from the dead! 5-6 Through Christ, we have been given the grace to carry out our apostolic commission: To reach out to all nations in Christ’s name with the goal of bringing them to the obedience both to and from faith--including you, who are among those Jesus Christ has called. 7 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, to all believers in Rome, beloved of God, and called to be the righteous. 8 First, I would like to say that I thank my God through Jesus Christ because of your faith, which is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God, whom I serve from my innermost being in proclaiming the Gospel of His son, is my witness that I never cease to make mention of you in my prayers. 10 I am always making the request that God would find it in His will for me to have a prosperous journey to visit you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart some blessings from the Spirit to help more fully establish you (in Christ), 12 So that we may both be comforted together by our mutual faith. 13 However, brethren, I would not have you unaware that while I had often planned to come visit you so that I could have some fruit among you in Rome as I have in other nations, I found it necessary to delay. 14 For I am indebted to reach both the civilized and uncivilized world, the educated and uneducated. 15 So, with all the passion I have in me, I can’t wait to come preach the Gospel to you in Rome also (as soon as time permits)! 16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. It is the very power of God that grants salvation for everyone who believes it--to the Jew first, but also to the Gentile. 17 For within the Gospel of Christ, the righteousness of God is manifested, start to finish by faith (--and only by faith--) for it is written: The just man shall (escape judgment, and) live by faith. 18-19 For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness on the part of men who actually know but supplant the truth of God in favor of unrighteousness--because the truth that can be known from God is manifested deep down inside of them because of what God has shown them (on the outside). 20 For the fact that there is an invisible realm with a God in charge of it has been made plain from the beginning of time by virtue of the visible universe we can see with our own eyes. The things in the visible universe display His eternal power and godhood over all things, so unbelievers are considered by Him to be without any excuse whatever! 21 You see, there was a time when all men knew God, but they refused to glorify Him as the true God, and also were unthankful. Then they became caught up in their own philosophies and ideas, causing their foolish hearts to descend into the darkness of spiritual deception. 22-23 Thinking themselves to be intelligent, they actually became fools, transforming the glory of a perfect, unchanging God into a carved statue made in their own corrupt image (reflecting their own human philosophies and ideas). Others changed God’s true form and nature into that of some sort of bird, four-footed beast, or creeping reptile. 24 For this reason, God (withdrew the convicting power of His Spirit in the human conscience, and) let them go all the way in the growing, unclean urges of their deceived hearts that were turning from Him, even allowing them to yearn for, and yield themselves up to, homosexual defilement with their bodies between each other. 25 Such was the fate of those who abandoned the truth of God and replaced it with their own lies, thus worshipping and serving the creation more than the Creator, who is blessed forever more. Amen. 26 This is why God allowed them to eat the full fruit of what is in man’s unregenerate heart by permitting them (without the hindrance of conscience) to give in to perverted sexual desires--for even their women burned with sexual lust for one another, twisting one hundred and eighty degrees what God had established was the natural expression of human sexuality. 27-29 In the same way, the men--leaving the natural use of the woman--burned with lust for one another, so they did that which is improper, receiving in return the full recompense for their error, which was unavoidable. For even as they did not like to retain God (and His truth) in their knowledge, God thus gave them over to a totally deceived mind to justify and even take pride in things like: Unrighteousness, sexual sin, wickedness, greed, envy, murder, arguing, deceit, malice, and gossip. 30-31 They became backbiters, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, inventors of new ways to commit evil, disobedient to their parents, unteachable, oath-breakers, lacking love for even their own families, stubborn, and unmerciful. 32 Even though they knew (deep down) that in God’s view those who do such things are deserving of death, they not only went ahead and did them, but they even approved of others doing likewise. |
1. The word “apostle” in Greek originally referred to someone who undertook a military or commercial expedition on behalf of someone else. In Hebrew, the word was used to refer to someone who was sent out with a message either from God or the religious authorities.
2. “Son of God,” as stated elsewhere, is a synonym for “the Messiah,” or “King of Israel,” and not necessarily a reference to the virgin birth or Trinity.
3. There has long been a debate as to whether the term “Spirit of holiness” refers to the Holy Spirit or Jesus’ own spirit. It may be a reference to Jesus, and Paul was making a statement about Christ’s righteousness, pointing out that even His own spirit, unlike ours, was the essence of purity and Deity. In the paraphrase, however, I take the view it refers to the Holy Spirit because the text flows more naturally with that understanding.
4. The fact God resurrected Jesus from the dead was, in and of itself, a sign that He had God’s approval.
5. Paul’s reference to his “spirit” comes from the fact that, in Hellenic thought, man’s spirit was believed to be the highest and deepest part of himself.
6. Not referring to so-called “Spiritual Gifts” mentioned in 1 Cor. 12, but more of an impartation of encouragement and spiritual blessing of fellowship, testimony, and instruction.
7. Absolutely should be translated as: “Nations,” as it is in verse 5, not “Gentiles”!
8. “Greeks” and “Barbarians” refers to the civilized and uncivilized world.
9. Should be understood as: “To the Jew first, but also to the Gentile.”
10. The term “faith to faith” has always been a bit confusing. Paul may be using an idiom to refer to the oracles of God being revealed to men of faith from Abraham onward. That, or he means something like: “From start to finish, by faith.”
11. To “hold the truth in unrighteousness” means to ultimately know the truth, but pervert it. An example, appropriate to the topic discussed in this section, would be theologians who attempt to “prove” Paul’s denunciation of homosexuality actually referred only to male temple prostitution.
12. This reference to animals will be shown in the next few verses to be speaking of making idolatrous images.
13. The whole section here has been talking about the departure from God by humanity over the ages, culminated by idolatrous worship of imaginary gods as a means of justifying debased human passions. In Judaism, there is a notion that one of the natural penalties for sin is to commit yet another sin. The text here is thus saying that God permitted the unrighteous to continue on in their sinful practices by withdrawing His presence and conviction, allowing the sins they pursued to turn them into their own image.
14. “Without natural affection” is not a reference to homosexuality, but is a translation of a word regarding the sort of love one should have for his own family.
CHAPTER 2 |
CHAPTER 2 |
1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.1 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.)2 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)3 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?4 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege5? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. 25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?6 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.7 |
1 Therefore, O man, you who do the same things, yet judge yourself better than the next man, are without excuse, and only condemning yourself (out of your own mouth). 2 We are sure that the judgment of God is justly deserved by everyone who does those sorts of things (whether in or out of the church). 3 Do you really think that you, O man, who condemns others for the same things you do (in secret), will escape the same judgment of God? 4 Or do you scorn His priceless goodness and long-suffering patience toward you, not realizing that the goodness of God (in withholding judgment against you) is actually beckoning you to repentance? 5-6 Your hard and unrepentant heart is ultimately storing up for you a measure of God’s wrath that will be revealed on the Day of Wrath, when the righteous judgment of God will be let loose, and every man will experience judgment based on what he has done. 7 Those who have patiently pursued doing good will find glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life. 8-9 But those who have been contentious and did not obey the truth, but instead chose to follow the path of unrighteousness, will find indignation and wrath, and tribulation and anguish. This will fall upon all who do evil--to the Jew first, but also to the Gentile. 10 But every man who does good shall receive glory, honor, and peace--the Jew first, but also the Gentile. 11-13 For God shows no partiality, and as many who have committed sin outside of the Torah will also perish outside of the Torah; while as many who have known the Torah and yet sinned will be judged by the Torah--for it is not the hearers of the Torah who will be in right standing with God, but those who did what the Torah said to do. 14 So when the Gentiles, who do not know the Torah, do by nature what the Torah teaches, these Gentiles--though they don’t have or know the written Torah--show by their conscience that they understand the heart of what the Torah teaches. 15-16 You see, they show the presence of the universal precepts of the Torah in their hearts, and their consciences will either condemn or console them on Judgment Day, when God shall judge the secret parts of men’s lives through Jesus Christ, as the Gospel I teach illustrates. 17-18 Look--you might be called a Jew, and boast of your security in God from the fact you have been taught the Torah, and know His will, and approve of the essential points the Torah teaches. 19 You may be confident that your knowledge makes you a guide to the blind, and permits you to shine as a light to those who walk in darkness. 20 You may believe, because you have the knowledge and truth in the Torah, that you are qualified to teach the foolish, and the new converts.
21 But do you, who teach others, learn from your own teachings? If you preach
that a man should not steal, do you steal (and somehow justify
it)? 22 You, who say that a man should not commit adultery--do you commit adultery (and somehow justify it)? Do you, who abhor idols of false gods, rob sanctuaries? 23 Do you, who boast of your knowledge of the Torah, dishonor God by your breaking of that Torah? 24 For you (who behave like this) are an example of what the Scriptures say: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you. 25 You see, circumcision is profitable if you actually keep the Torah. But if you are a transgressor of the Torah, your circumcision is the same as uncircumcision. (In other words, your circumcision will not keep you in covenant with God if you walk in sin.) 26 Therefore, if a physically uncircumcised Gentile upholds the righteousness that the Torah teaches, won’t that be counted as if he were physically circumcised? 27 So if someone, though uncircumcised by background, keeps the morality of the Torah--won’t he pass judgment upon you who, despite having circumcision and (knowledge of) the written Torah, transgress it? 28 For a Jew is not what a man looks like on the outside; neither is true circumcision that which pertains to an operation on the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew, who is one on the inside; and true circumcision is that of the heart performed by the Spirit, rather than one who has simply had an operation on the flesh to uphold the letter of the Torah. Such a “Jew,” whose heart is circumcised, is the one whose praise is not of men, but of God. |
1. This is a badly rendered verse, for it is translated in such a way that it sounds like a person who criticizes someone for sin is treated by God as if he committed that sin himself, even if he did not. But it actually refers to those who were literally committing the same sin while criticizing others for the identical thing.
2. In the past verses, Paul has been appealing to reason to show that the moral precepts of the Torah were actually the heart and soul of it, and that righteous men (in a temporal sense) have the same things in common in their behavior just as unrighteous men do--irrespective of whether or not they are familiar with Mosaic Law.
3. Paul now confirms that the true Torah--its moral precepts--have always existed in the heart of mankind, for no Gentile, in and of himself, ever concluded independently it was righteous to not trim the corners of one’s beard...to not wear clothes of two different materials...to not kindle a fire on the Sabbath--but universally, all men intrinsically know it is wrong to steal, murder, cause harm, commit adultery, and so on. Thus, the conscience of every human being, having been placed there by God, lets man know in his heart when he is doing right or wrong, and so Jew and Gentile--with Torah or without Torah--all know they are guilty of sin even if they are otherwise “good” people. All men thus face punishment for those sins, and all that remains from that point is how to be reconciled to God.
4. Paul here may be criticizing some Jewish trains of thought that would have held that an Israelite must treat his fellow Jews righteously, but Gentiles are outside the covenant, and so stealing from them is not forbidden by the Torah. It actually required a ruling from Gamaliel to formally make it a sin to steal from Gentiles. (Source: Dr. Reuven Hammer, Jewish Theological Seminary.)
5. Possibly a reference to Jews who were accused of despoiling idolatrous temples--who may have pocketed some of their valuables for themselves in the process. Otherwise, Paul may be pointing out that the Jews correctly renounce idolatry, but many of them hypocritically get around their obligations to God through the ordinances of their sages (Matt. 15:3).
6. This verse could be paraphrased as: “Therefore, if a physically uncircumcised Gentile upholds the righteousness that the Torah teaches, won’t that be counted as if he were physically circumcised?”
7. One could, and should, substitute the word “Christian”
for “Jew” in this and
the previous verse!
|
CHAPTER 3 |
1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles1 of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief2 make the faith of God without effect? 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better than they?3 No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.4 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without5 the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.6 |
1 Well, then--what advantage is there in being a Jew? Or what good is there in being circumcised? 2. There is actually quite a bit. It was to the Jews that the Scriptures and revelations of God were given. 3 And what if some (of the Jews) were unfaithful? Shall their unfaithfulness cancel out God’s faithfulness? 4 God forbid, no! Let God be absolutely true even if everyone is a liar. As it is written: That thou (God) mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5 But if our unrighteousness helps, by contrast, to illustrate the righteousness of God, is God Himself being unfair if He sends His retribution upon us for our unrighteousness? I’m looking at this in strictly human terms. 6 God forbid, no--for how then could God send judgment upon the world (for sin--which He indeed does, and shall do)? 7 (Some might say:) “If God’s truth is shown more clearly by my lie, and thereby brings God glory, why would He send judgment upon me for being a sinner?” 8 If such a ridiculous statement were true, then--as some whose damnation is warranted claim we teach--we may as well go on and say: “Let‘s do evil, because good will ultimately come out of it!” 9 So--am I saying we Jews are better than the Gentiles? No, not at all, for we have already proven that both Jews and Gentiles are equally condemned as sinners. 10 As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way,
they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre;
with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their
lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that the curses and warnings against sin contained within the Torah were meant for those who were given it, and expected to keep it! (Why?) So that no one can boast, and that all the world can know mankind is ultimately guilty before God--even those who have the Torah (and thus have absolute knowledge of what sin is). 20 Therefore, by the deeds of the Torah (--either the abstaining from sin, or the performance of positive commandments--) no human shall ever be placed in right standing with God, for the purpose of the Torah is to impart the knowledge of sin (leaving men accountable when they see their inability to truly keep the Torah).
21-22 But now the righteousness of God outside of the Torah has been revealed,
even though it was actually attested to by the Scriptures and the prophets
(in the Torah): the righteousness
founded on faith in Jesus Christ, which comes to all, and rests upon all
who believe, for all are treated equally. 23-26 You see, all have sinned, and come short of the perfection of God. Even so, they are placed in right standing with God freely--by His graciousness--through the redemption that comes through Christ Jesus, the agent God sent to take away the penalty for our sins through faith in his blood, showing through this how He was actually righteous in withholding the deserved penalty for man’s past sins by letting the wrath for those sins fall upon Christ instead, thus revealing how He can remain unwavering in His own perfect righteousness when placing in right standing, then and now, an otherwise condemned sinner who believes in Jesus! 27 With that understanding, where is our right to boast (about what we have done or can do to be accepted by God)? There is none. That being the case, then by what law is our right to boast excluded? Is it by the Torah, which is based on works (of deeds and obedience, and not faith)? No, not at all. It is by the law of faith. 28 Thus, we conclude that a man is placed in right standing with God through faith, totally independent of anything he does under Mosaic Law. 29-30 Since that’s so, can we still hold the view that God is the God only of the Jews (and those physically descended from Abraham)? By extension of our conclusions, is He not equally the God of the Gentiles (who must likewise come to Him as do the Jews--through faith)? Yes--on that basis, He must be the God of the Gentiles also, seeing it is the same God who shall place in right standing both the circumcised man and the uncircumcised man through faith (independent of anything else). 31 But am I saying that we make void the authority and warnings of the Torah through faith? God forbid! Rather, through faith, we uphold and establish what the Torah tries, yet fails to do despite its threats of judgment: Make men holy before God. |
1. Referring to the Scriptures and prophecies contained in them.
2. This verse is better understood as: “For what if some (of the Jews) were unfaithful? Shall their unfaithfulness cancel out God’s faithfulness?”
3. “They” are the Gentiles who do not know God, nor follow Torah.
4. Better paraphrased as: “Now we know that the curses and warnings against sin contained within the Torah were meant for those who were given it and were expected to keep it! Why? So that no one can boast, and that all the world can know mankind is ultimately guilty before God--even those who have the Torah, and thus have absolute knowledge of what sin is!”
5. “Without” should be translated: “Outside of.”
6. In this final verse, Paul condenses about a paragraph’s worth of theological teaching into just two sentences, which results in our missing the depth of what he is saying! This is because the sentences, in and of themselves, seem to convey a simple message: that we do not negate the Torah because of faith in Messiah, but rather through faith in Messiah we establish it. That sounds fine, but what does that actually mean? Theologians then go on to try to explain Paul’s words.
First, some modern day Judaisers claim Paul is saying that coming to faith in Christ then enables Jew and Gentile to keep all of Mosaic Law in the proper way through the power of the Holy Spirit, which, though it sounds nice, advances the notion that Paul is saying everyone must thus keep Mosaic Law. That, of course, is a distorted and heretical assumption.
More orthodox Christians believe Paul is making some generalized statement about the true Law being the Law of faith--a fact illustrated in the Old Testament example with Abraham he goes on to cite--which redeems and remakes us into the image of Christ.
It is certainly true that faith accomplishes this, but if we dissect
not just this verse, not just this chapter, but the last two chapters together
with this chapter, we see Paul
has summed up his initial points about sin, righteousness, and God’s
judgment against sin, be one a Jew, who knows the Torah, or a Gentile, who
does not. Thus, this expanded paraphrase may convey Paul’s point better
than the two sentences we focus on otherwise: “But
am I saying that we make void the authority and warnings of the Torah through
faith? God forbid! Rather, through faith, we uphold and establish what the
Torah tries, yet fails to do despite its threats of judgment: Make men holy
before God.”
|
CHAPTER 4 |
1 What shall we1 say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.2 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:3 15 Because the law worketh wrath:4 for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations5,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. |
1 What can we Jews learn from Abraham--our father, physically speaking--about these revelations? 2 If Abraham was somehow placed in right standing with God on account of something he did, then he obviously had something to boast about. But from God’s view, it was not on the basis of Abraham’s deeds (that he was placed in a position of right standing). 3 For what did the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to the man who works, his reward is not given out of goodness, but is earned by what the man has done. (In other words, he is entitled to demand payment for his service.) 5-8 But to the man who does not work and earn reward, but instead believes on Christ, who places the ungodly in a position of right standing with God, his faith is likewise credited as righteousness, even as David illustrated this concept when he wrote in the Psalms about the blessed state of the man upon whom God bestows righteousness independent of his own deeds: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 (So, with this concept in mind,) does this blessing of imputed righteousness come only upon those who are circumcised, or does it come upon uncircumcised men as well? Remember, we have shown that faith (--and not circumcision and Torah observance--) was the basis upon which Abraham was reckoned to be righteous by God. 10 And when did this reckoning by God occur? After Abraham was circumcised? Or before? The answer is: before! 11-12 And he received the sign of circumcision as a stamp of approval on the righteousness he already had when he was uncircumcised. It was done that way so that Abraham could be appointed both the father of all those with faith--even if they are uncircumcised--so that they could be credited with the same righteousness he had, while at the same time he would also be the father of circumcision to all those who are physically circumcised, but yet follow in the footsteps of faith that he, himself, had when he was still uncircumcised.
13 For the promise that Abraham would inherit the earth was not made to him
or his seed through the Torah (which came much later), but was made on the
basis of the righteousness obtained through faith. 14 And if those who are his heirs inherit through the Torah, then faith is rendered pointless, and the promise made to Abraham is overturned (in favor of a different promise than the one given). 15 This is unavoidable, because the Torah can only place men in the position to inherit God’s wrath (due to man’s imperfection). Thus, only where there is no binding Torah to be observed in the first place can there be no transgressions of it. 16-17 Therefore, the promise is received through faith that it might be given through grace, so that all the heirs can be certain of obtaining the inheritance--and not just those heirs who know the Torah, but also those outside of it with faith like Abraham, who is father to us all because he, himself, believed God, who gives life to the dead and declares things which are not seen yet as if they were already here. That is why the Scripture says about him: I have made thee a father of many nations. 18 Thus, Abraham believed against all hope that he would become the father of many nations based on what God had said: (As the stars in the sky,) so shall thy seed be. 19 Not being the sort of man with weak, superficial faith, he ignored the fact that his body was now impotent--since he was about a hundred years old--and he did not consider the fact that Sarah had gone through menopause. 20-21 So, being strong in belief, Abraham did not weaken his faith by debating in his mind whether or how what God had promised would happen, but he gave glory to God and simply believed, being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised to do. 22 This belief was thus reckoned to him as righteousness. 23 Now the Scriptures did not make mention of this sort of imputed righteousness as only a historical record about Abraham. 24-25 But it was also written to enlighten us, who will receive the same imputed righteousness--if we believe on God who raised up Jesus our Lord, who was given (up to death) for our offenses, and then resurrected for our justification! |
1. Clear evidence Paul is talking not just to Gentiles, but also to Jews.
2. Paul has spent the last few verses clearly outlining that the first righteous man with whom God made an everlasting covenant was Abraham, who obtained that covenant not because he was willing to embrace and follow Torah, but because he was willing to believe and follow a God who asked nothing more of him than to believe His promise. Abraham’s act of circumcision was merely a physical memorial to the covenant he had already accepted. Thus, because Abraham was both uncircumcised and non-Torah observant when God first deemed him righteous, Paul makes the point that an uncircumcised, non-observant Gentile is equally as qualified as Abraham to be deemed righteous if he does what Abraham did: Believe what God had promised.
3. Paul now turns his attention to overturning the presumption that the promises made in Mosaic Law equated with the promises made to Abraham outside of the Torah, for if righteousness and the promises of God come through obeying a list of commandments, then the promise God made to Abraham would be canceled out since he obtained them outside of Mosaic Law, and so did not deserve them through obeying the Torah.
4. By saying the “Law worketh wrath,” Paul continues the point he summed up in the last verse of chapter 3--that the Torah, because of its built-in punishments for transgressions, can:
Never make men holy.
Never reconcile men fully to God because of man’s inability to fully keep it.
Never result in the promise to Abraham being fulfilled as a reward
solely on the basis of keeping Torah, because even the most pious man will
constantly face some level of God’s wrath because of his shortcomings;
and the promise cannot be manifested until a man is fully in God’s
favor--which cannot happen outside of justification through faith, and the
accompanying impartation of a greater righteousness than a man can obtain
on his own.
|
CHAPTER 5 |
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace1 with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:2 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.) 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.3 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:4 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. |
1 Therefore, being placed in a state of right standing with God through our faith, we have obtained peace with God (and averted our justly-deserved punishment) through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 By whom we also--again through faith--have access to the grace by which we stand and rejoice in confidence of someday knowing God’s glory. 3 Not only do we look forward to that, but while we wait, we rejoice in the trials we endure, understanding that those trials help develop our persistence. 4 Persistence, meanwhile, molds character, and character develops confidence. 5 And our confidence is not for nothing, because the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us, has poured out God’s love in our hearts. 6 For when we all were still powerless (and trapped in our sins), at the appointed time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 It’s hard enough to find someone willing to lay his life down for a righteous man, though it’s possible that someone would be willing to die for a good man. 8 But God displayed His love for us in that Christ died for all of us while we were still sinners! 9 And now that we are placed in right standing with God through Christ’s blood, we will much more be protected from God’s coming wrath through Christ. 10 For if, when we were still in the position of being enemies of God, we were reconciled to God by His son’s death, now that we are in that state of reconciliation, we shall be saved (from wrath) by the fact that Christ is alive. 11 Not only do we enjoy this benefit, but we can also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the agent of our atonement. 12 Thus, as sin entered the world, bringing death with it because of one man (--Adam--) so death is the natural inheritance of all men descended from him, for all have sinned. 13 For until the Torah came, there was indeed sin in the world. However, sin is not credited to man’s account where there is no Torah. 14 Even so, death ruled from Adam down to Moses, even over those who had not committed the same sort of sin as Adam, who prefigured Christ who was to come. 15 But there is no comparison between what Adam passed down to his descendants, and the free gift (that Christ bequeaths to us). For if death came to many through one man’s sin, look how much greater the effect of God’s grace has had, coming to so many--in such abundance--through one man, Jesus Christ. 16 There is also no comparison between the free gift and the offense of the one man. For judgment, resulting in condemnation, came through the one man, but the free gift (from the other man) restored right standing despite the many offenses. 17 For if by one man’s sin death reigned, much more shall they who receive the abundance of God’s grace, and the gift of righteousness, reign in eternal life through another man, Jesus Christ. 18 And therefore, as by the sin of one man judgment to condemnation came to all men, even so by the righteousness of one man--Jesus Christ--the free gift of righteousness came upon all men, giving them right standing in God’s eyes, and life with that. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of another man shall many be made righteous. 20-21 Moreover, the Torah was given to (define sin and cause our sin nature to manifest itself more clearly). But where sin was in abundance, God’s grace was in greater abundance, so that--as sin has reigned over mankind and resulted in death--even so, grace would eventually rule through righteousness and lead to eternal life through another man, Jesus Christ our Lord. |
1. Paul does not mean saved people “feel” like they’re forgiven; the “peace” he refers to refers to God’s being placated and averting His wrath through the atonement of Christ.
2. Paul is now going to deal with the issue that even though God did not necessarily hold man accountable for sin before the Torah had been given to define what sin was, man was still guilty, and paid the price of death for his transgressions.
3. This is the foundation of the Pauline doctrine of justification: that Christ passed down to us the benefits of righteousness and eternal life just as Adam passed down to his descendants the nature of sin and the wages of death.
4. Verses 20 and 21 go together, and could be paraphrased like this:
“Moreover, the Torah was given to define sin and cause our sin nature
to manifest itself more clearly. But where sin was in abundance, God’s
grace was in greater abundance, so that--as sin has reigned over mankind
and resulted in death--even so, grace would eventually rule through righteousness
and lead to eternal life through another man, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
|
CHAPTER 6 |
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?1 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.2 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.3 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.4 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. |
1 So what should we conclude then--that we should feel free to commit sin so that God’s grace can abound toward us? 2 God forbid! It is unthinkable that we, who are dead to sin, should live in sin any longer. 3 Do you not realize that we, who were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore, we are (symbolically) buried with him through baptism, representing his death, that we should arise to walk in newness of life just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. 5 For if we have been united with him in the sense of experiencing his death, we shall also likewise experience his resurrection, 6 Knowing that our old man has been crucified with him in order that our body of sin may be destroyed (along with its propensity to sin), so we might thereafter be freed from serving sin. 7 For he who is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we are dead with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him one day, 9 Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, can no longer die, for death has no power or authority over him. 10 For having undergone physical death one time to deal with sin, he has triumphed over it and now, being alive, he (forever) lives in, with, and to God. 11 In the same way then, consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Therefore, don’t let your sin nature rule over your mortal body and drive you to obey its desires. 13 Neither should you yield any part of your body as a tool of unrighteousness, giving into sin--but yield your will to God as someone who is alive from the dead should; and yield every part of your body to be an instrument of the righteousness of God. 14 For sin shall no longer have control over you, seeing you are not under the Torah (and thus trapped in a cycle of sin), but under (the liberation of) God’s grace. 15 But does the fact we are no longer under the Torah mean that we are now permitted to go ahead and commit sinful acts that the Torah said were morally wrong? God forbid! 16 Don’t you know that you become the slave of whatever you yield yourselves to, whether it be sin leading to and ending in death, or obedience leading to and ending in righteousness? 17 But thank God that while you were once the slaves of sin, you ended that when you obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine given you (about repentance, and faith toward Christ). 18 And being freed from the clutches of sin, you became the (willing) slaves of righteousness. 19 I am using human terms (about slaves serving a master) so you can understand me more easily. My point is that as you formerly yielded your bodies to sin and uncleanness, participating in willful transgression after willful transgression--in like manner, you should now yield your body parts to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 For when you were the slaves of sin, you didn’t concern yourself with righteousness. 21 What good fruit was there in any of the things you once did that you are now ashamed of? Those things can only lead to death. 22 But now that you have been made free from sin (and its domination over you), and become servants to God, you now have fruit of the choice you made which leads to holiness, and in the end everlasting life. 23 For the final reward for sinning is death, while God’s free gift (to all who repent) is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. |
1. Then and now, this has been the stumbling block many have encountered in Paul’s teachings: mistaking the eagerness of God to forgive, the power of Christ’s atonement, and the security of the believer as the basis for being any less stringent in fleeing from sin than the Pharisee who believes he is saved by his own righteousness.
2. There is a whole lot of meat in these verses. Paul’s underlying point is that through faith in Messiah and the baptism that confirms us in the faith, we depart from sinful humanity into a state of righteousness before God. How then, he asks, can we walk as though we were yet sinners, living by the dictates of our own flesh? How indeed? Yet all too often, we do!
Beyond this, there is a crucial point in this regarding why the believer
is freed from observing Mosaic Law: Even Judaism holds that a dead man is
not required to keep the Torah. Paul here may have used Christian baptism
as one justification for relieving the Gentiles from the requirement of Torah
observance as he alludes to in verse 15. Some, however, view his words as
only teaching that it is through grace that we are freed from achieving
justification by keeping the Law.
3. Before Christ, even the most righteous man still had an unregenerate spirit. He spent his whole life in a fallen state doing his human best to serve God while guided by little more than his own conscience. After the Torah was given and sin had been carefully mapped out, far more was required of him to follow God than he had to do before. His fallen nature now began to rebel in ways it did not before, now that it was less free to live by its own dictates. Thus, men now came under the bondage of trying to obey God with their flesh either fighting them every step of the way, or else maneuvering them to a point of self-deception in thinking they had achieved true righteousness through their own discipline and self-control. All the while, man’s spirit had yet to be reconciled to God despite His forbearance regarding sins.
After Messiah, man’s spirit had the opportunity to be regenerated into a state of absolute purity and righteousness. From that point, his eternal essence achieved its full justification with God only through God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice. Once that had occurred, the Torah became moot in the sense that all it could do was to give knowledge of sin, and regulate behavior. The man himself was saved completely outside of the Torah because of the sacrifice of Christ. And by God’s moving men beyond the limitations of the Torah through the element of grace, man’s spirit, which was previously unregenerate and indistinguishable from his impure human nature, no longer was tied to his soulish fallen nature, thus averting the extra empowerment toward sin which it knew under the Law before Christ (1 Cor. 15:56).
Why, you ask? For the same reason most of the Israelites didn’t enter the Promised Land. Their carnal minds just plain couldn’t understand it, and thus wouldn’t believe it, so they behaved as what their rational minds thought they were: Not the righteous of God, redeemed from the power of sin--but simply saved sinners. Had they believed otherwise, they would have focused on seeking God and spending time in fellowship with Him, secure in their relationship, and receiving as an outgrowth of that a more visible representation of Christ in their lives and personalities.
The same holds true today.
|
CHAPTER 7 |
1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?1 2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.2 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid.3 Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.4 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.5 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.6 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. |
1 Brethren--and I’m talking to the Jews who know the Torah--do you not know that the Torah has authority over a man for as long as he lives (but then its authority over him ends)? 2 For example, a Jewish wife is bound, under the Torah, to reserve herself only to her husband for as long as he is alive. But if that husband dies, she is freed from the responsibility of keeping the various commandments that apply to a married woman. 3 If she were to marry another man while her husband was still alive, for instance, she would be in a state of adultery. But if her husband has died and she becomes free from the obligations that the Torah imposes on her as a married woman, she can marry another man and not be an adulteress. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you have become dead, so far as the Torah is concerned, by the body of Christ (who was crucified for you to free you from the Torah’s authority over you), so that, you could marry another husband: the same Jesus who was raised from the dead, so that we can all bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For (before Christ freed us,) when we were still living in a fleshly, sinful manner, the sinful desires aroused and amplified within us through the power of the Torah impelled our flesh to commit sinful actions to bring forth fruit resulting in death. 6 But we have been delivered from (the power and authority of) the Torah, so that now we are considered dead through and to that which bound us. Thus, we can now serve with a whole new attitude: Not one born from slavish obedience to written commandments, but in the new life of the Spirit (with renewed minds that think an entirely different way). 7 But am I saying that the Torah is sinful? God forbid, no! For had it not been for the Torah, I would not have realized what sin was (or the depth of sin inside of me). I would never have known, for instance, my own sense of covetousness and greed had the Torah not said: Thou shalt not covet. 8 But the sin hiding inside of me (that I didn’t even realize was there otherwise), awakened and came to life from the commandment, and awakened all sorts of covetousness in me. For without the Torah, sin is dormant inside of a person (though it is still there, hiding). 9 You see, I was once alive outside of the Torah. But when the commandment (not to covet) was made known to me, sin came to life against it (--empowering my covetous nature--) and thus I died. 10 And the commandment, which was made to teach me what life is, and to lead me to life, I found instead only led me into death. 11 For the sin inside of me tricked me by usurping the life meant for me by the commandment, and instead used that life to power its evil effects inside of me, which ultimately caused me to perform the will of sin--and this slew me. 12 And so I want you to know that the Torah itself is holy, and its commandments holy too, just as they are also just, and good. 13 But did the Torah, which is good, function as something created to kill me? (Or am I somehow denouncing the Torah?) God forbid, no! (It’s me I am denouncing, while extolling the Torah!) You see, sin--so that it could be seen for what it is--used that which was a good thing to power its deadly effects and through the commandment cause what was inside of me to come to the surface to be seen so clearly I could not possibly mistake it! 14 For we know that the Torah is spiritual. But I am carnal, and sold to be the slave of sin. 15 I am reminded of this every time I inexplicably find myself unable to do what I know to be right, but instead doing what I hate and know to be wrong! 16 If then I keep doing what I know to be wrong (no matter how much I hate it, and no matter how much my conscience convicts me,) I give my affirmation that the Torah itself is good (while I am the one who is bad). 17 But it is not the true Paul who commits sin, but the sin inside of Paul’s flesh that drives him to commit sin. 18 For I know that inside of my flesh there is nothing good whatsoever. For the desire to do good is in my mind, but my body fights me every step of the way, and I don’t know how to do good in such a way that both my body and spirit are in full agreement with it. 19 For the good I would like to do, I all too often do not do, but the evil I don’t want to do? Well, all too often I do that! 20 Now if I do precisely what I don’t want to do, it is not the true Paul who does that, but the sin still living inside of Paul’s flesh. 21 So I find that there is an unbreakable principle at work that when I would want to do good, there is a part of me that is still evil, which wants to oppose that and do something else. 22 For in the deepest parts of me, I delight in God’s Torah. 23 But I see an entirely opposite sort of Torah engrafted into the limbs of my flesh, at war with what I purpose in my mind to do, and it drags me into bondage to sin that lives inside of my physical body. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me from this dead body that I am chained to and unable to be freed from? 25 And so I thank God that Jesus Christ our Lord will! So (now you all understand that) with my mind I serve the Torah of God, yet with my flesh I still serve the opposite Torah of sin. |
1. This is a difficult verse. Some Messianics take the view that this affirms that all must keep Mosaic Law. Others, reading past the first verse to the fourth and sixth, understand Paul to instead be saying the opposite: That through Christ we are freed from the obligation of keeping the Law. However, Paul may actually be returning again to an exegesis of justification through faith, trying again to divorce the Jews in his audience from the notion that they better keep the Torah, and keep it well---“or else.” The ‘husbands’ mentioned in verse 3 allegorically refers first to being bound to justification through Torah and obedience; and secondly to justification through grace and faith.
2. Here, although we have confirmation that the Christian is freed from having to keep Mosaic Law to be accepted by God, Paul’s main point is that we can now serve God without fear. In a sense, he is pointing out that the Jews, even though they “kept” the Law, were still condemned as sinners, so--through baptism--we now “die” with Christ (6:4) and are freed once and for all from the authority the Torah had over mankind, replacing it with the anointing of the Spirit which aids us to walk in “newness of life,” naturally fulfilling the morality of God ,which is not conveyed merely by regulating behavior through a list of commandments.
3. Paul quickly interjects that his revelation about the Torah is not to be taken as condemning the Torah itself as somehow “bad,” or that by giving the Law, God somehow forced mankind into becoming sinners by formulating hosts of commandments no one would really like following, knowing all the while that those who even tried to keep them would ultimately fail. Paul instead goes on to reveal in verses 8-13 that the true purpose of the Torah was to clearly reveal the sin nature in humanity, along with humanity’s inability to overcome it without divine aid.
4. This sentence is very interesting, for Paul reveals that, despite his fanatical observance of the Torah prior to his conversion, he had a major problem with covetousness that arose by God’s simply giving the command not to covet as a principle of life. Paul’s rebellious fallen nature then took strength from the commandment and actually impelled him to do the very opposite of what the commandment tried to impart!
5. Here, in verse 13, Paul makes the very conclusion that the Law revealed the innate sinfulness of mankind by focusing in on humanity’s natural inclination toward sin, and actually strengthening it so that it could be seen more clearly.
6. How appropriate are Paul’s words here, and how clearly they illustrate the battle many devout Christians undergo between serving sin and serving righteousness. The irony is, the closer one gets to God, and the more revelations he receives, the greater is the potential for the sin within his fallen nature to rise up and manifest itself! Why? Simply because the closer one gets to God, the closer to the presence of true righteousness he comes, and thereby the more his sin nature is empowered to rebel, just as the existence of the Torah did something similar with much less effect, and just as the presence of Christ brought out what was in the hearts of those He came into contact with (Luke 2:34-35). This is the very reason why the unregenerate can never enter into eternal life--the core being of an unsaved but “good” Jew, Hindu, Moslem, etc., as it beholds the presence of God’s absolute righteousness in eternity, will have his capacity for unrighteousness revealed and amplified to its full potential, akin to the way the redeemed become righteous as Christ is righteous merely by ‘seeing Him as He is’ (1 John 3:2).
This fact is also one reason why it’s possible for a person who has had an abundance of experiences with God to fall so far on occasion.
This is also why Paul wanted to keep the Gentiles as far away from Torah observance as they could possibly get, for the more knowledge they had of the Torah’s commandments, and the more they endeavored to keep them, the more the sin in them would rise up in opposition and actually keep them in bondage!
How does one guard against this? By striving without ceasing to walk in the power and anointing of the Spirit, using the power of the Holy Spirit to combat the flesh. Otherwise, the flesh will overcome the spirit of a man and bring about his downfall, barring intervention by God.
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CHAPTER 8 |
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.1 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.2 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.3 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.4 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.5 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.6 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit7 do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.8 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,9 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:11 for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.12 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.12 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.13 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
1 (Despite our weakness, since we have been reconciled to God on the basis of our faith,) there is no longer any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit). 2 For the Torah of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has enabled me to become free from the written Torah and the unending sequence of sin and death (that it causes in me). 3 For what the Torah could not do, because it was frustrated by the weakness of my own flesh, God--by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to deal with sin--condemned sin in the flesh, 4 So that the righteousness of the Torah might be fulfilled inside of us who walk not according to the desires of the flesh, but those of the Spirit. 5 For they who are of the flesh concern themselves with the carnal longings of the flesh, but they who are of the Spirit concern themselves with the things of the Spirit. 6 You see, to be natural-minded is death, while to be spiritually-minded is life and peace. 7 For the natural mind is in opposition to God, since it does not subject itself to the Torah of God, neither can it. 8 So then, they who are in the flesh (--that is, in an unregenerate state, as evidenced by their rebellious thinking and behavior--) cannot please God in any way. 9 But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if it so be that the Spirit of God lives inside of you. Now if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not one of Christ’s! 10 And if Christ be in you (through the Spirit), your physical body may still be dying as a result of sin, but your own spirit shall not die with it, but rather will live because of his righteousness. 11 So if the Spirit of God who raised up Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, He who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies live again by His Spirit, who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are obligated not to the flesh, to live in the manner of the flesh. 13 For if you live after the manner of the flesh, you will truly die. But if you, through the (power of) the Holy Spirit, put to death the evil lusts of your body, you will find true life. 14 For as many as are led by the Holy Spirit are the sons of God. 15 Remember you have not received the spirit of bondage (to mandatory Torah observance) once again so you can live in fear (over your sins); but you have received the Spirit of adoption that allows us to cry out the word “Daddy!” to God. 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. 17 And if we are children, then we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, assuming we suffer with him so that both he and us can be glorified together. 18 Thus, I reason that the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us. 19 For the entire universe eagerly waits for the sons of God to be manifested. 20-21 The whole of creation, you see--against its will--was given over by God to perversion from what it was meant to be so that it would likewise have the same hope of deliverance from its present state, because the universe itself shall also be delivered from the bondage of its corruption into the same glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole universe groans and suffers in birth pains even up to now. 23 And not only that, but we also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inside of ourselves, waiting for the completion of our adoption, which is the redemption (and perfecting) of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope. But a hope that is seen is not hope--for why would a man be in hope for something he can already see? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see yet, then we wait patiently for it. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our (lack of understanding), for we don’t know what we need to be praying for as we should. But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with sounds that cannot be spoken. 27 And God, who searches the hearts, knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit makes intercession for the righteous according to the will of God. 28 We also know that all things work together for the ultimate good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom God knew from the beginning of time, He also predestined to be conformed into the likeness of His Son, that Christ would be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 Moreover, those God predestined, He also called. And those He called, He also justified. And those He justified, He also glorified. 31 So what should we say then? This: “If God be for us--who can be against us?!” 32 How shall God hold back any (good) things from us, seeing that He spared not His own Son, but was willing to deliver him up for us?! 33 So who can make any condemnation of God’s people (based on their weaknesses and sin) since it is God Himself who justifies them? 34 For who will condemn us, given the fact that Christ died for us--or rather, rose again--and even now is at the right hand of God, pleading our case for us? 35 Who or what shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? Distress? Persecution? Famine? Nakedness? Peril? Or sword? 36 Remember, it is written: For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 But no! In all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us! 38-39 I am fully persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor demonic powers in the heavens, nor things in the present, nor things that will come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! |
1. The words, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” are an addition to the text, taken from verse 4, that was added because a little bit of legalism seemed to balance out Paul’s comments, which seemed overly gracious otherwise.
2. The “law of sin and death” is commonly viewed as a synonym for Mosaic Law. There is some problem with this in that Paul, as a Jew, would never hold that the Torah was a “bad” thing. But in one sense, pointing out that the Torah was a vehicle that ultimately brought condemnation to humanity is perfectly appropriate. Paul’s chief point, though, is to illustrate the notion that through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, reconciliation and life are produced in the believer, in comparison to the Torah, which reveals mankind’s sinfulness and inability to attain true righteousness. In fact, since the “strength of sin is the law,” (1 Cor. 15:56), Paul again reveals that the Torah, by its very existence, brings out man’s sinful nature and actually empowers him to sin by arousing and amplifying man’s fallen spirit to clearly show its existence through its desire to disobey! Through Messiah, however, that circle is broken as the spirit of man is regenerated. Thus, while mankind’s unredeemed flesh still manifests its variance with God through its continuing desire to sin, the cycle of desire to sin + sinful actions = physical and spiritual death is broken, for the man’s spirit is redeemed and reconciled to God apart from his fallen nature so long as he continues to accept through faith Christ’s atonement for the sins that will still haunt him all the days of his life. And so the cycle in the life of the redeemed now is: Desire to do right + sinful actions= physical death, but eternal life through Christ!
3. Paul absolutely does not mean that the “righteousness in the law” is in any way appropriated by “not walking after the flesh”--i.e. through holy living! This has been the downfall of many “Christian” denominations that return to the trap the Pharisees fell prey to, substituting carnal self-control and carnal repentance from sin over true Spirit-empowerment. While it’s always good and proper to avoid sin, the Spirit’s activity in our lives is never activated as a result of simple repentance! He only becomes active and noticeable as we seek God in faith, and respond to the Spirit’s leading--and not as any sort of recompense for simple repentance or adoption of a Christian lifestyle! Paul is therefore saying that those who walk “according to the Spirit” are those who are doing that as a fruit of the Spirit’s presence, not through their own efforts at repentance.
How do we know Paul isn’t merely referring to the choices one makes, whether good or bad? By verses 5 and 14, which show it’s not a question of simply doing good or evil, but rather a question of what (or Who) is leading and empowering the Christian, who then undertakes good or evil actions as an outgrowth of Who or what he is following. Thus, the Spirit can never grow or manifest His presence because of what one does; He only manifests as one yields to His prompting, and thus He becomes more noticeable as one yields to Him.
4. How critical is this verse to Christians, yet its full implications are so often unrecognized. Paul is not just talking about a mind that seeks after sin, but he is acknowledging that the whole of mankind’s human logic and wisdom is incapable of comprehending or receiving God’s truth.
5. Note Paul’s words here confirming that we are in the Spirit not through repentance and lifestyle, but through His indwelling presence!
6. This is a somewhat confusing verse. It could be paraphrased more along the lines of: “And if Christ be in you, your physical body may still be dying as a result of sin, but your own spirit shall not die with it, but rather will live because of his righteousness.”
7. Here then, is the heart of true sanctification and godly living: the power of the Spirit. It is through Spirit-empowerment that one ultimately breaks free of propensity and slavery to sin. This all goes back to Genesis, where God revealed He had created two lights in the heavens: The greater light of the sun, and the lesser light of the moon. The moon has no light whatever in itself; it can only reflect the light of the sun. So too, we were created to reflect the communicable attributes of God through the indwelling of the Spirit. This is why so many religions and denominations fall short of true spirituality. Even some good denominations fail to grasp that it is only through Spirit-empowerment that true sanctification takes place--and so they substitute repentance and adopting an outwardly godly lifestyle for the true life that only comes through the Spirit.
8. How one could wish that Christianity could understand that the covenant of Christ is a covenant of adoption and not a covenant of servanthood! The fist covenant was that of slavery and servanthood, in which God approved or disapproved, or accepted or rejected a person on the basis of his lifestyle and obedience. The New covenant is one of adoption, where God can never accept or reject a person based on how godly he manages to live. God can only accept or reject a man on the basis of his belief or unbelief in His Son’s atonement. This is why the line between sanctification and legalism is nearly impossible to see without the enlightenment of the Spirit, and why the effects of man’s sanctification are pointless unless done under the unction of the Spirit.
Here are some examples:
A man hears a minister ask how someone can call himself a Christian if he only attends services once a week since the Bible says ‘not to forsake the assembly of ourselves together.’ So he feels guilty and starts attending Wednesday night prayer meeting and Sunday night services as well. That’s great--but there’s no righteousness in that.
A woman hears a Holiness preacher chastise women for looking “too much like the world,” and so she throws away any clothing with style, and starts wearing obnoxiously long dresses with no makeup so God will be pleased with her. That’s fine--but there’s no righteousness in that.
A man hears a Sabbatarian claim that anyone who rejects keeping the Sabbath has rejected God’s commandment, and is lost unless he repents. So the man now starts attending services at a Sabbath-keeping church to make sure he doesn’t go to hell. That’s all right--but there’s no righteousness in that.
10. “Infirmities,” while an acceptable translation (though “weakness” is better), probably fails to convey Paul’s true thoughts here. The word astheneia is related to astheneo, a word used in Rom. 14:1 regarding someone who is “weak” in the faith. Paul’s use of the word there refers to someone who lacks intellectual knowledge of the faith, and thus is still bound by some extraneous points of Jewish Law. Since Paul twice uses astheneo in Romans to refer to someone in this state of insufficient knowledge, his use of astheneia here can reasonably be inferred as stating that the Spirit helps us not in our weakness, but in our lack of understanding, which fits perfectly with the rest of the sentence.
11. Possibly a reference to praying in Tongues. The point should also be made that some non-Trinitarians attempt to use the fact that Paul calls the Spirit an “it” in this verse, to deny the Personhood of the Spirit. Actually, “itself” is used because of a flaw in the Greek language. Since the word for Spirit is neuter, unlike it is in Hebrew, it technically requires the usage of “itself” over “himself.” It is thus not a theological statement by Paul that the Holy Spirit is an it rather than a He.
12. A favorite verse quoted at funerals. But its main point is to say that God may not necessarily send death, pain, and strife into His children’s lives, but He makes use of all circumstances, good and bad, when those who follow Him remain faithful
13. Better paraphrased as:
“Who can make any condemnation
of God’s people based on their weaknesses and sin, since it is God Himself
who justifies them?”
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CHAPTER 9 |
1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:1 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?2 20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.3 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. |
1 What I am about to say is the truth in Christ, my conscience bearing with me in the Holy Ghost: 2 I have great heaviness and constant sorrow in my heart (over the Jews). 3 For I could even wish that I were accursed from Christ for my fellow Jews, 4 All of whom are Israelites--and the people adopted by God; who were the ones who saw God’s glory (on Mt. Sinai); who received the covenants and the Torah; who had the honor of ministering to God as priests; who were the ones in line to inherit God’s promises; 5 Who were descended from the Patriarchs; and from whom, so far as physical descent goes, Christ came, who is God over all things, blessed forever! Amen. 6 (Now despite their current situation,) this does not mean that the decree of God has somehow failed to come to pass. You see, not everyone in the physical family of Israel is considered by God to actually be a part of Israel. 7 Neither does mere physical descent from Abraham make them true children of Abraham. Remember the Scripture: In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 This meant that the children that came from Abraham’s human efforts at procreation (--Ishmael, and those descended from him--) were not deemed to be the children God promised. Instead, the children that came out of Isaac, the child of promise, are the ones God acknowledges as the children. 9 For this was the promise in question: At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 Not only this, but the principle was again shown when Rebecca conceived (her own child of promise) by our ancestor Isaac. 11 For before her children were even born, and before either had done anything good or bad, that the plan of God--independent of deeds, but through sovereign election alone on the part of Him who issued the call--might be accomplished, 12 It was told her, “The older child shall serve the younger one.” 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14 What shall we say then? That God is unfair? God forbid, no! 15 For God told Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then, it is not a question of he who wants (the blessing), or of he who runs (in order to get the blessing). It is a question of to whom God chooses to show mercy. 17 The Scripture also notes this concept elsewhere when it points out that Pharaoh was told: Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore, God will show mercy to whomever He chooses; and He will harden whom He will harden. 19 Now you might say to me, “Well, why does God condemn me if I’m only doing what He forces me to do through His own sovereign will?” 20 No, sir--who are you to question God? Shall the thing created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 Doesn’t the potter have the power to make either a plain bottle or a beautiful vase from the same lump of clay? 22-24 What if God, though wanting and planning to show His wrath, and to make His power known to people, patiently put up with those people destined for His wrath so that He could make known the riches of His glory on those people He prepared beforehand to receive His mercy--even us, whom He has called not just from the Jews, but from the Gentiles too? 25 As He said in Hosea: I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 27 Isaiah also said, concerning Israel: Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: 28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. 29 And Isaiah even said earlier: Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. 30-31 So what shall we say, other than that the Gentiles, who did not seek righteousness, actually found it through faith while Israel, which followed after the Torah of righteousness, missed the whole point, and never achieved righteousness! 32 Why did they never achieve it, you ask? Because they did not seek it by faith, but instead by their deeds and obedience based on the Torah. You see, they stumbled on the stumbling block that God foretold. 33 As it is written: Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. |
1. This is an important verse that he will later clarify 11:26.
2. Verses like this have given birth to a teaching that God is so in control of all the universe that He applies an irresistible will to force all things to do exactly what He wants, including causing men to sin. This notion is false, but part of a big argument over the form and basis of Predestination, which has to be the most pointless thing to argue about in the whole of Paul’s writings.
3. Paul here draws out the irony that the Gentiles, who in ages past rejected following God, actually came to embrace the path of true righteousness through faith, while the Jews, who accepted God’s commandments, wound up rejecting true righteousness. There are a variety of reasons why Israel failed so completely: Primarily, it was because the Jews, as a people, were never any better than the Gentiles, and age after age tended to reject God and the prophets--and the final fruit of that continuous rejection was the rejection of the Messiah Himself.
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CHAPTER 10 |
1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.1 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)2 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?3 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.4 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. |
1 (Even so,) brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God is that Israel would (come to the truth, and) be saved. 2 For I admit they have a zeal for God, but a zeal not based on correct knowledge. 3 For Israel, being uneducated in God’s righteousness, and going about to counterfeit it through their own Torah observance, have not accepted the true righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the whole point of the Torah, and the very source of righteousness to everyone who believes! 5 For Moses described the sort of righteousness that is in the Torah, when he said that: The man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the true righteousness that comes from faith speaks this way: Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (That is, to say: “I will earn heaven through my own righteousness.”) This dethrones Christ from his exalted position of Lord and Savior at God’s right hand, making him only a favored human man. 7 Nor does it say, Who shall descend into the deep? (That is, to say: “I will atone for my own sins in Sheol, and then enter into eternal life.”) This brings Christ up from the grave (negating the truth and power of his resurrection and Lordship, and again making him nothing more than a dead human prophet who must be atoning for his own sins in Sheol). 8-9 But what does the attitude of true righteousness say? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart. That is, the doctrine of faith we preach, that if you will confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and you shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved! 10 For with the heart, man believes and receives righteousness. And with the mouth, confession is made to salvation. 11 For the Scripture says: Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord of both is abundant (in grace and mercy) to all who call upon Him. 13 For: Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 But how shall people call upon him if they have not believed on him? And how can they believe on him if they have not heard of him? And how can they hear, unless they hear someone preach about him?
15 And how shall anyone preach about him unless they are sent? As it is written:
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good
things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the Gospel message, for Isaiah said: Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then one’s faith comes by hearing, and hearing by someone’s proclaiming what God says. 18 But I ask: Haven’t they already heard? Yes, truly they have, for: Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19 And I ask: Did Israel, though it heard the message, understand it? For Moses himself orginally said: I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 And Isaiah later spoke boldly (about the Gentiles,) saying: I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me, 21 While he said about Israel: All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. |
1. This is a grossly misunderstood verse. Paul is not saying, “The Torah has come to an end because Messiah has come.” “The end of the Law” must be understood as, “the goal of the Law,” “the ultimate embodiment of the Law,” “the ultimate form of righteousness,” etc.
2. Paul here is regularly criticized by Jews for “misquoting” Deut. 30: 11-13.
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