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 spirit 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 gift, 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 Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise. 4 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. 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 four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts oftheir 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 17 For therein is the righteous-mind, to do those things which are ness of God revealed from faith to not convenient: faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, 18 For the wrath of God is re- covetousness, maliciousness; full of vealed from heaven against all un-envy, murder, debate, deceit, má, godliness and unrighteousness of lignity; whisperers, men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, fection, implacable, unmerciful: 19 Because that which may be known of God, is manifest in them: 31 Without understanding, covefor God hath shewed it unto them.nant-breakers, without natural af20 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: 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 CHAP. II. Of those ho are inexcusable, &c. THEREFORE thou art inexcuthou art art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 8 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 despise t thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 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 con science also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. i 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, alight of them which are in darkness, 5 But, after thy hardness and im20 An instructor of the foolish, penitent heart, treasurest up unto a teacher of babes, which hast the thyself wrath against the day of form of knowledge, and of the truth wrath and revelation of the righ-in the law. teous judgment of God; 21 Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thy self? thou that preachest a man 7 To them who, by patient con- should not steal, dost thou steal? tinuance in well-doing, seek for glo 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds; 22 Thou that sayest a man should ry, and honour, and immortality; not commit adultery, dost thou com eternal life; mit adultery? thou that abhorrest 8 But unto them that are con- idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? tentious, and do not obey the truth, 23 Thou that makest thy boast but obey unrighteousness; indigna- of the law, through breaking the law tion and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasevery soul of man that doeth evil; of phemed among the Gentiles through the Jew first, and also of the Gentile: 10 But glory, honour, and peace, you, as it is written. 25 For circumcision verily profitto every man that worketh good; to eth if thou keep the law: but if thou 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 be a breaker of the law, thy circum cision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the without law,shall also perish without law, shall not his uncircumcision be law; and as many as have sinned in counted for circumcision? the law,shall be judged by the law; 27 And shall not uncircumcision 18 (For not the hearers of the which is by nature, if it fulfil the aw law are just before God, but the judge thee, who by the letter and doers of the law shall be justified: circumcision dost transgress the law? 14 Fo. when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the cit 28 For he is not a Jew which is cumcision, 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. CHAP. III. The Jew's prerogative, &c. pulchre; 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 W the Jew? or what profit is they not known: there of circumcision? 2. Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were com mitted the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? way of peace have 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 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is 20 Therefore by the deeds of the written, That thou mightest be jus-law, there shall no flesh be justified tified in thy sayings, and mightest in his sight: for by the law is the overcome when thou art judged. knowledge of sin. 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? 21 But now the righteousness of God without 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 8 And not rather, as we be slan- grace, through the redemption that derously reported, and as some af-is in Christ Jesus: firm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 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 under-believeth in Jesus. 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one : 11 There is none that standeth, 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 se 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 Seeingitisone God which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. S1 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. CHAP. IV. Of Abraham's faith, &c. sion to them who are not of the cr cumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our fa ther 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. are of the WHAT shall, we then say that 14 For if they whicde void, and 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, the promise made of none effect. 15 Because the law worketh wrath: 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 nations,) before him whom he believed, even calleth those things which be not God, who quickeneth the dead, and as though they were: 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose father of many nations; according iniquities are forgiven, and whose to that which was spoken, So shall sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. thy seed be. 19 And, being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body 9 Cometh this blessedness then now dead, when he was about a upon the circumcision only, or upon hundred years old, neither yet the the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. deadness of Sara's womb. 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was 10 How was it then reckoned? strong in faith, giving glory to God: 21 And being fully persuaded uncircumcision? Not in circumci- that what he had promised he was when he was in circumcision, or in sion, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet able also to perform. imputed 22 And therefore it was to him for righteousness. 23 Now, it was not written for being uncircumcised; that he might his sake alone, that it was imputed be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circum to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it cised; that righteousness might be shall be imputed, if we believe on imputed unto them also; 12 And the father of circumci him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. TH CHAP. V. Justification by faith, &c. THEREFORE, being justified by faith, we have peace 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 deathofhisSon; muchmore,beingreconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 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: 18 (For until the law, sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 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. 20 Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound: but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. VI. The danger of living in sin, &c. HAT shall we say then? Shall that grace we continue in sin, may abound? 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 14 Nevertheless death reigned like as Christ was raised up from from Adam to Moses, even over them the dead by the glory of the Father, that had not sinned after the simili-even so we also should walk in new tude of Adam's transgression, who is ness of life. |