Roma 1:8

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome

1:8 First of all, ¹  I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

Roma 1:10-11

1:10 and I always ask ²  in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting you according to the will of God. ³  1:11 For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift ⁴  to strengthen you,

Roma 1:13

1:13 I do not want you to be unaware, ⁵  brothers and sisters, ⁶  that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles. ⁷ 

Roma 1:15

1:15 Thus I am eager ⁸  also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. ⁹ 

Roma 1:21

1:21 For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts ¹⁰  were darkened.

Roma 1:24-26

1:24 Therefore God gave them over ¹¹  in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor ¹²  their bodies among themselves. ¹³  1:25 They ¹⁴  exchanged the truth of God for a lie ¹⁵  and worshiped and served the creation ¹⁶  rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

1:26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, ¹⁷ 

Roma 1:28

1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, ¹⁸  God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. ¹⁹ 

Roma 1:31

1:31 senseless, covenant-breakers, ²⁰  heartless, ruthless.

Roma 2:1

The Condemnation of the Moralist

2:1 ²¹ Therefore ²²  you are without excuse, ²³  whoever you are, ²⁴  when you judge someone else. ²⁵  For on whatever grounds ²⁶  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

Roma 2:4-5

2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know ²⁷  that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness ²⁸  and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! ²⁹ 

Roma 2:8

2:8 but ³⁰  wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition ³¹  and do not obey the truth but follow ³²  unrighteousness.

Roma 3:11

3:11 there is no one who understands,

there is no one who seeks God.

Roma 3:15

3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,

Roma 3:25

3:25 God publicly displayed ³³  him ³⁴  at his death ³⁵  as the mercy seat ³⁶  accessible through faith. ³⁷  This was to demonstrate ³⁸  his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed. ³⁹ 

Roma 4:1

The Illustration of Justification

4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, ⁴⁰  has discovered regarding this matter? ⁴¹ 

Roma 4:17

4:17 (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). ⁴²  He is our father ⁴³  in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who ⁴⁴  makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. ⁴⁵ 

Roma 5:2

5:2 through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice ⁴⁶  in the hope of God’s glory.

Roma 5:7

5:7 (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) ⁴⁷ 

Roma 5:17

5:17 For if, by the transgression of the one man, ⁴⁸  death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Roma 6:1

The Believer’s Freedom from Sin’s Domination

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?

Roma 6:16

6:16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves ⁴⁹  as obedient slaves, ⁵⁰  you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? ⁵¹ 

Roma 7:3

7:3 So then, ⁵²  if she is joined to another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress. But if her ⁵³  husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she is joined to another man, she is not an adulteress.

Roma 7:7

7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I ⁵⁴  would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else ⁵⁵  if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” ⁵⁶ 

Roma 7:15-16

7:15 For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want – instead, I do what I hate. ⁵⁷  7:16 But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. ⁵⁸ 

Roma 7:18-21

7:18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. ⁵⁹  7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! 7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.

7:21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me.

Roma 7:24

7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Roma 8:7

8:7 because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so.

Roma 8:18

8:18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared ⁶⁰  to the glory that will be revealed to us.

Roma 8:20

8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God ⁶¹  who subjected it – in hope

Roma 8:26

8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, ⁶²  but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

Roma 8:34

8:34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ ⁶³  is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.

Roma 8:36

8:36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” ⁶⁴ 

Roma 9:3-4

9:3 For I could wish ⁶⁵  that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, ⁶⁶  my fellow countrymen, ⁶⁷  9:4 who are Israelites. To them belong ⁶⁸  the adoption as sons, ⁶⁹  the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, ⁷⁰  and the promises.

Roma 9:14-16

9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 9:15 For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ⁷¹  9:16 So then, ⁷²  it does not depend on human desire or exertion, ⁷³  but on God who shows mercy.

Roma 9:18-19

9:18 So then, ⁷⁴  God ⁷⁵  has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden. ⁷⁶ 

9:19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?”

Roma 9:21-23

9:21 Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay ⁷⁷  one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use? ⁷⁸  9:22 But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects ⁷⁹  of wrath ⁸⁰  prepared for destruction? ⁸¹  9:23 And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects ⁸²  of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory –

Roma 9:30

Israel’s Rejection Culpable

9:30 What shall we say then? – that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,

Roma 10:3-7

10:3 For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes.

10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the law: “The one who does these things will live by them.” ⁸³  10:6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ⁸⁴  ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” ⁸⁵  (that is, to bring Christ down) 10:7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ⁸⁶  (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

Roma 10:16

10:16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ⁸⁷ 

Roma 10:21

10:21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!” ⁸⁸ 

Roma 11:3

11:3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!” ⁸⁹ 

Roma 11:8

11:8 as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear,

to this very day.” ⁹⁰ 

Roma 11:18

11:18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Roma 11:22-25

11:22 Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but ⁹¹  God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; ⁹²  otherwise you also will be cut off. 11:23 And even they – if they do not continue in their unbelief – will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 11:24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?

11:25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, ⁹³  so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel ⁹⁴  until the full number ⁹⁵  of the Gentiles has come in.

Roma 11:28

11:28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers.

Roma 11:30-31

11:30 Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 11:31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now ⁹⁶  receive mercy.

Roma 12:10

12:10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

Roma 12:17

12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. ⁹⁷ 

Roma 13:2-3

13:2 So the person who resists such authority ⁹⁸  resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment 13:3 (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation,

Roma 13:5

13:5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities ⁹⁹  but also because of your conscience. ¹⁰⁰ 

Roma 13:14--14:1

13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. ¹⁰¹ 

Exhortation to Mutual Forbearance

14:1 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions. ¹⁰² 

Roma 14:3

14:3 The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him.

Roma 14:6

14:6 The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The ¹⁰³  one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.

Roma 14:13

Exhortation for the Strong not to Destroy the Weak

14:13 Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister. ¹⁰⁴ 

Roma 15:1

Exhortation for the Strong to Help the Weak

15:1 But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves. ¹⁰⁵ 

Roma 15:12

15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.” ¹⁰⁶ 

Roma 15:15

15:15 But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God

Roma 15:20-26

15:20 And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, 15:21 but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” ¹⁰⁷ 

Paul’s Intention of Visiting the Romans

15:22 This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you. 15:23 But now there is nothing more to keep me ¹⁰⁸  in these regions, and I have for many years desired ¹⁰⁹  to come to you 15:24 when I go to Spain. For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me ¹¹⁰  on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

15:25 But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 15:26 For Macedonia and Achaia are pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

Roma 15:28

15:28 Therefore after I have completed this and have safely delivered this bounty to them, ¹¹¹  I will set out for Spain by way of you,

Roma 15:31

15:31 Pray ¹¹²  that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

Roma 16:1

Personal Greetings

16:1 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant ¹¹³  of the church in Cenchrea,

Roma 16:4

16:4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only I, but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Roma 16:19

16:19 Your obedience is known to all and thus I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.

[1:8]  ¹ tn Grk “First.” Paul never mentions a second point, so J. B. Phillips translated “I must begin by telling you….”

[1:10]  ² tn Grk “remember you, always asking.”

[1:10]  ³ tn Grk “succeed in coming to you in the will of God.”

[1:11]  ⁴ sn Paul does not mean here that he is going to bestow upon the Roman believers what is commonly known as a “spiritual gift,” that is, a special enabling for service given to believers by the Holy Spirit. Instead, this is either a metonymy of cause for effect (Paul will use his own spiritual gifts to edify the Romans), or it simply means something akin to a blessing or benefit in the spiritual realm. It is possible that Paul uses this phrase to connote specifically the broader purpose of his letter, which is for the Romans to understand his gospel, but this seems less likely.

[1:13]  ⁵ sn The expression “I do not want you to be unaware [Grk ignorant]” also occurs in 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 1 Thess 4:13. Paul uses the phrase to signal that he is about to say something very important.

[1:13]  ⁶ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “in order that I might have some fruit also among you just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.”

[1:15]  ⁸ tn Or “willing, ready”; Grk “so my eagerness [is] to preach…” The word πρόθυμος (proqumo", “eager, willing”) is used only elsewhere in the NT in Matt 26:41 = Mark 14:38: “the spirit indeed is willing (πρόθυμος), but the flesh is weak.”

[1:15]  ⁹ map For location see JP4 A1.

[1:21]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “heart.”

[1:24]  ¹¹ sn Possibly an allusion to Ps 81:12.

[1:24]  ¹² tn The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι (tou atimazesqai, “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.

[1:24]  ¹³ tn Grk “among them.”

[1:25]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:25]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “the lie.”

[1:25]  ¹⁶ tn Or “creature, created things.”

[1:26]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is contrary to nature.” The term χρῆσις (crhsi") has the force of “sexual relations” here (L&N 23.65).

[1:28]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”

[1:28]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “the things that are improper.”

[1:31]  ²⁰ tn Or “promise-breakers.”

[2:1]  ²¹ sn Rom 2:1-29 presents unusual difficulties for the interpreter. There have been several major approaches to the chapter and the group(s) it refers to: (1) Rom 2:14 refers to Gentile Christians, not Gentiles who obey the Jewish law. (2) Paul in Rom 2 is presenting a hypothetical viewpoint: If anyone could obey the law, that person would be justified, but no one can. (3) The reference to “the ones who do the law” in 2:13 are those who “do” the law in the right way, on the basis of faith, not according to Jewish legalism. (4) Rom 2:13 only speaks about Christians being judged in the future, along with such texts as Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10. (5) Paul’s material in Rom 2 is drawn heavily from Diaspora Judaism, so that the treatment of the law presented here cannot be harmonized with other things Paul says about the law elsewhere (E. P. Sanders, Paul, the Law, and the Jewish People, 123); another who sees Rom 2 as an example of Paul’s inconsistency in his treatment of the law is H. Räisänen, Paul and the Law [WUNT], 101-9. (6) The list of blessings and curses in Deut 27–30 provide the background for Rom 2; the Gentiles of 2:14 are Gentile Christians, but the condemnation of Jews in 2:17-24 addresses the failure of Jews as a nation to keep the law as a whole (A. Ito, “Romans 2: A Deuteronomistic Reading,” JSNT 59 [1995]: 21-37).

[2:1]  ²² tn Some interpreters (e.g., C. K. Barrett, Romans [HNTC], 43) connect the inferential Διό (dio, “therefore”) with 1:32a, treating 1:32b as a parenthetical comment by Paul.

[2:1]  ²³ tn That is, “you have nothing to say in your own defense” (so translated by TCNT).

[2:1]  ²⁴ tn Grk “O man.”

[2:1]  ²⁵ tn Grk “Therefore, you are without excuse, O man, everyone [of you] who judges.”

[2:1]  ²⁶ tn Grk “in/by (that) which.”

[2:4]  ²⁷ tn Grk “being unaware.”

[2:5]  ²⁸ tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.

[2:5]  ²⁹ tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

[2:8]  ³⁰ tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.

[2:8]  ³¹ tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”

[2:8]  ³² tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”

[3:25]  ³³ tn Or “purposed, intended.”

[3:25]  ³⁴ tn Grk “whom God publicly displayed.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:25]  ³⁵ tn Grk “in his blood.” The prepositional phrase ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι (ejn tw aujtou {aimati) is difficult to interpret. It is traditionally understood to refer to the atoning sacrifice Jesus made when he shed his blood on the cross, and as a modifier of ἱλαστήριον (Jilasthrion). This interpretation fits if ἱλαστήριον is taken to refer to a sacrifice. But if ἱλαστήριον is taken to refer to the place where atonement is made as this translation has done (see note on the phrase “mercy seat”), this interpretation of ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι creates a violent mixed metaphor. Within a few words Paul would switch from referring to Jesus as the place where atonement was made to referring to Jesus as the atoning sacrifice itself. A viable option which resolves this problem is to see ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι as modifying the verb προέθετο (proeqeto). If it modifies the verb, it would explain the time or place in which God publicly displayed Jesus as the mercy seat; the reference to blood would be a metaphorical way of speaking of Jesus’ death. This is supported by the placement of ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι in the Greek text (it follows the noun, separated from it by another prepositional phrase) and by stylistic parallels with Rom 1:4. This is the interpretation the translation has followed, although it is recognized that many interpreters favor different options and translations. The prepositional phrase has been moved forward in the sentence to emphasize its connection with the verb, and the referent of the metaphorical language has been specified in the translation. For a detailed discussion of this interpretation, see D. P. Bailey, “Jesus As the Mercy Seat: The Semantics and Theology of Paul’s Use of Hilasterion in Romans 3:25” (Ph.D. diss., University of Cambridge, 1999).

[3:25]  ³⁶ tn The word ἱλαστήριον (Jilasthrion) may carry the general sense “place of satisfaction,” referring to the place where God’s wrath toward sin is satisfied. More likely, though, it refers specifically to the “mercy seat,” i.e., the covering of the ark where the blood was sprinkled in the OT ritual on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). This term is used only one other time in the NT: Heb 9:5, where it is rendered “mercy seat.” There it describes the altar in the most holy place (holy of holies). Thus Paul is saying that God displayed Jesus as the “mercy seat,” the place where propitiation was accomplished. See N. S. L. Fryer, “The Meaning and Translation of Hilasterion in Romans 3:25,” EvQ 59 (1987): 99-116, who concludes the term is a neuter accusative substantive best translated “mercy seat” or “propitiatory covering,” and D. P. Bailey, “Jesus As the Mercy Seat: The Semantics and Theology of Paul’s Use of Hilasterion in Romans 3:25” (Ph.D. diss., University of Cambridge, 1999), who argues that this is a direct reference to the mercy seat which covered the ark of the covenant.

[3:25]  ³⁷ tn The prepositional phrase διὰ πίστεως (dia pistew") here modifies the noun ἱλαστήριον (Jilasthrion). As such it forms a complete noun phrase and could be written as “mercy-seat-accessible-through-faith” to emphasize the singular idea. See Rom 1:4 for a similar construction. The word “accessible” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied to clarify the idea expressed by the prepositional phrase (cf. NRSV: “effective through faith”).

[3:25]  ³⁸ tn Grk “for a demonstration,” giving the purpose of God’s action in v. 25a. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[3:25]  ³⁹ tn Grk “because of the passing over of sins previously committed in the forbearance of God.”

[4:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “according to natural descent” (BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4).

[4:1]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “has found?”

[4:17]  ⁴² tn Verses 16-17 comprise one sentence in Greek, but this has been divided into two sentences due to English requirements.

[4:17]  sn A quotation from Gen 17:5. The quotation forms a parenthesis in Paul’s argument.

[4:17]  ⁴³ tn The words “He is our father” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to show that they resume Paul’s argument from 16b. (It is also possible to supply “Abraham had faith” here [so REB], taking the relative clause [“who is the father of us all”] as part of the parenthesis, and making the connection back to “the faith of Abraham,” but such an option is not as likely [C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:243].)

[4:17]  ⁴⁴ tn “The God” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[4:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” The translation of ὡς ὄντα (Jw" onta) allows for two different interpretations. If it has the force of result, then creatio ex nihilo is in view and the variant rendering is to be accepted (so C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:244). A problem with this view is the scarcity of ὡς plus participle to indicate result (though for the telic idea with ὡς plus participle, cf. Rom 15:15; 1 Thess 2:4). If it has a comparative force, then the translation given in the text is to be accepted: “this interpretation fits the immediate context better than a reference to God’s creative power, for it explains the assurance with which God can speak of the ‘many nations’ that will be descended from Abraham” (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 282; so also W. Sanday and A. C. Headlam, Romans [ICC], 113). Further, this view is in line with a Pauline idiom, viz., verb followed by ὡς plus participle (of the same verb or, in certain contexts, its antonym) to compare present reality with what is not a present reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:7; 5:3; 7:29, 30 (three times), 31; Col 2:20 [similarly, 2 Cor 6:9, 10]).

[5:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “exult, boast.”

[5:7]  ⁴⁷ sn Verse 7 forms something of a parenthetical comment in Paul’s argument.

[5:17]  ⁴⁸ sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).

[6:16]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “to whom you present yourselves.”

[6:16]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “as slaves for obedience.” See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

[6:16]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “either of sin unto death, or obedience unto righteousness.”

[7:3]  ⁵² tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.

[7:3]  ⁵³ tn Grk “the,” with the article used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[7:7]  ⁵⁴ sn Romans 7:7-25. There has been an enormous debate over the significance of the first person singular pronouns (“I”) in this passage and how to understand their referent. Did Paul intend (1) a reference to himself and other Christians too; (2) a reference to his own pre-Christian experience as a Jew, struggling with the law and sin (and thus addressing his fellow countrymen as Jews); or (3) a reference to himself as a child of Adam, reflecting the experience of Adam that is shared by both Jews and Gentiles alike (i.e., all people everywhere)? Good arguments can be assembled for each of these views, and each has problems dealing with specific statements in the passage. The classic argument against an autobiographical interpretation was made by W. G. Kümmel, Römer 7 und die Bekehrung des Paulus. A good case for seeing at least an autobiographical element in the chapter has been made by G. Theissen, Psychologische Aspekte paulinischer Theologie [FRLANT], 181-268. One major point that seems to favor some sort of an autobiographical reading of these verses is the lack of any mention of the Holy Spirit for empowerment in the struggle described in Rom 7:7-25. The Spirit is mentioned beginning in 8:1 as the solution to the problem of the struggle with sin (8:4-6, 9).

[7:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “I would not have known covetousness.”

[7:7]  ⁵⁶ sn A quotation from Exod 20:17 and Deut 5:21.

[7:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “but what I hate, this I do.”

[7:16]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “I agree with the law that it is good.”

[7:18]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “For to wish is present in/with me, but not to do it.”

[8:18]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “are not worthy [to be compared].”

[8:20]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “because of the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:26]  ⁶² tn Or “for we do not know what we ought to pray for.”

[8:34]  ⁶³ tc ‡ A number of significant and early witnesses, along with several others (Ì^46vid א A C F G L Ψ 6 33 81 104 365 1505 al lat bo), read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsous, “Jesus”) after Χριστός (Cristos, “Christ”) in v. 34. But the shorter reading is not unrepresented (B D 0289 1739 1881 Ï sa). Once ᾿Ιησοῦς got into the text, what scribe would omit it? Although the external evidence is on the side of the longer reading, internally such an expansion seems suspect. The shorter reading is thus preferred. NA²⁷ has the word in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:34]  tn Grk “who also.”

[8:36]  ⁶⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 44:22.

[9:3]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “For I would pray.” The implied condition is “if this could save my fellow Jews.”

[9:3]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

[9:3]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

[9:4]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “of whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[9:4]  ⁶⁹ tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).” Although some modern translations remove the filial sense completely and render the term merely “adoption” (cf. NAB, ESV), the retention of this component of meaning was accomplished in the present translation by the phrase “as sons.”

[9:4]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “cultic service.”

[9:15]  ⁷¹ sn A quotation from Exod 33:19.

[9:16]  ⁷² sn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.

[9:16]  ⁷³ tn Grk “So then, [it does] not [depend] on the one who desires nor on the one who runs.”

[9:18]  ⁷⁴ sn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.

[9:18]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:18]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.”

[9:21]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump.”

[9:21]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “one vessel for honor and another for dishonor.”

[9:22]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “vessels.” This is the same Greek word used in v. 21.

[9:22]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “vessels destined for wrath.” The genitive ὀργῆς (orghs) could be taken as a genitive of destination.

[9:22]  ⁸¹ tn Or possibly “objects of wrath that have fit themselves for destruction.” The form of the participle could be taken either as a passive or middle (reflexive). ExSyn 417-18 argues strongly for the passive sense (which is followed in the translation), stating that “the middle view has little to commend it.” First, καταρτίζω (katartizw) is nowhere else used in the NT as a direct or reflexive middle (a usage which, in any event, is quite rare in the NT). Second, the lexical force of this verb, coupled with the perfect tense, suggests something of a “done deal” (against some commentaries that see these vessels as ready for destruction yet still able to avert disaster). Third, the potter-clay motif seems to have one point: The potter prepares the clay.

[9:23]  ⁸² tn Grk “vessels.” This is the same Greek word used in v. 21.

[10:5]  ⁸³ sn A quotation from Lev 18:5.

[10:6]  ⁸⁴ sn A quotation from Deut 9:4.

[10:6]  ⁸⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 30:12.

[10:7]  ⁸⁶ sn A quotation from Deut 30:13.

[10:16]  ⁸⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[10:21]  ⁸⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 65:2.

[11:3]  ⁸⁹ sn A quotation from 1 Kgs 19:10, 14.

[11:8]  ⁹⁰ sn A quotation from Deut 29:4; Isa 29:10.

[11:22]  ⁹¹ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[11:22]  ⁹² tn Grk “if you continue in (the) kindness.”

[11:25]  ⁹³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[11:25]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.”

[11:25]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “fullness.”

[11:31]  ⁹⁶ tc Some important Alexandrian and Western mss (א B D*^,c 1506 pc bo) read νῦν (nun, “now”) here. A few other mss (33 365 pc sa) have ὕστερον (Justeron, “finally”). mss that lack the word are Ì⁴⁶ A D² F G Ψ 1739 1881 Ï latt. External evidence slightly favors omission with good representatives from the major texttypes, and because of the alliance of Alexandrian and Byzantine mss (with the Byzantine going against its normal tendency to embrace the longer reading). Internally, scribes could have added νῦν here to give balance to the preceding clause (οὗτοι νῦν ἠπείθησαν…αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐλεηθῶσιν [|outoi nun hpeiqhsan…autoi nun elehqwsin; “they have now been disobedient…they may now receive mercy”]). However, it seems much more likely that they would have deleted it because of its seeming inappropriateness in this context. That some witnesses have ὕστερον presupposes the presence of νῦν in their ancestors. A decision is difficult, but νῦν is slightly preferred, since it is the more difficult reading and is adequately represented in the mss.

[12:17]  ⁹⁷ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic and refers to both men and women.

[13:2]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “the authority,” referring to the authority just described.

[13:5]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “its wrath”; the referent (the governing authorities) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:5]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “because of (the) conscience,” but the English possessive “your” helps to show whose conscience the context implies.

[13:14]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “make no provision for the flesh unto desires.”

[14:1]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “over opinions.” The qualifier “differing” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[14:6]  ¹⁰³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:13]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “brother.”

[15:1]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “and not please ourselves.” NT Greek negatives used in contrast like this are often not absolute, but relative: “not so much one as the other.”

[15:12]  ¹⁰⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 11:10.

[15:21]  ¹⁰⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 52:15.

[15:23]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “now no longer having a place…I have.”

[15:23]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “but having a desire…for many years.”

[15:24]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “and to be helped by you.” The passive construction was changed to an active one in the translation.

[15:28]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “have sealed this fruit to them.”

[15:31]  ¹¹² tn Verses 30-31 form one long sentence in the Greek but have been divided into two distinct sentences for clarity in English.

[16:1]  ¹¹³ tn Or “deaconess.” It is debated whether διάκονος (diakonos) here refers to a specific office within the church. One contextual argument used to support this view is that Phoebe is associated with a particular church, Cenchrea, and as such would therefore be a deacon of that church. In the NT some who are called διάκονος are related to a particular church, yet the scholarly consensus is that such individuals are not deacons, but “servants” or “ministers” (other viable translations for διάκονος). For example, Epaphras is associated with the church in Colossians and is called a διάκονος in Col 1:7, but no contemporary translation regards him as a deacon. In 1 Tim 4:6 Paul calls Timothy a διάκονος; Timothy was associated with the church in Ephesus, but he obviously was not a deacon. In addition, the lexical evidence leans away from this view: Within the NT, the διακον- word group rarely functions with a technical nuance. In any case, the evidence is not compelling either way. The view accepted in the translation above is that Phoebe was a servant of the church, not a deaconess, although this conclusion should be regarded as tentative.