THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE ΤΟ THE ROMANS. CHAPTER I. PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle; separated for the gospel of God, 2 which he had before promised, by his prophets, in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who, according to his flesh, was born of the seed of David; 4 but, according to his Spirit of holiness, was demonstrated with power to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead; 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith in his name, among all the Gentiles, 6 among whom ye, also, are the called of Jesus Christ: 7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 And first, I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, concerning you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world: 9 for, the God whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, is my witness, that I have you unceasingly in remembrance; 10 making request always in my prayers, that, by the will of God, I may now at length. be happily directed to go to you: 11 for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, in order that 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 And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I often purposed to go to you, (though I have hitherto been hindered,) that I might have some fruit also among you: 14 and as, among the other Cor. i. 18. Hab. ii. 4. Gentiles, I am a debtor both 15 so am I ready, as far as 16 For, I am not ashamed of the gospel; because it is the power of God for salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew indeed first, but also to the Greek. 17 For in it, the justification of God by faith, is revealed for faith as it is written, "The 66 'just, shall live by his faith:" 18 for, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and iniquity of men, who keep down the truth by iniquity; 19 because, that which may be known of God is manifest within them, for God hath c. ii. 14. manifested it in them: 20 for, the things that are invisible in him, even his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen by the mind, from the creation of the world, in the things that he hath made. 21 So that they are without excuse; because, though they thus knew God, they neither glorified Him, nor gave Him thanks, as God; but became vain in their thoughts, and their senseless heart was darkened: 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: 24 wherefore, God gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts; to dishonour their bodies among themselves, 25 who changed the truth of God into falsehood, and worshipped and served the creature, instead of the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen! 26 For this cause God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women changed their natural use to that which is against nature; 27 and, in like manner also, the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is shameful, and receiving in themselves the due recompense of their error: 28 and, as they did not choose to retain God in their know- v. 21. ledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things which they ought not: 29 being filled with all iniquity, malice, covetousness, mischief; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity; 30 whisperers of slander; haters of God; despiteful, 22 declaring themselves to be proud, boasters, devisers of wise, they became fools; evils, disobedient to parents, i. e. Jew or Gentile. 31 without understanding ; covenant breakers; without tender affection; unmerciful; 32 who know the judgment of God, that they who do such things are worthy of death; and not only they who do them, but they also who approve those that do them. WH CHAPTER II. HEREFORE, thou art without excuse, O man, whoever thou art that judgest; for, in that in which thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou who judgest, doest the same things: 2 and we know, that the judgment of God is according to truth, against those who do such things. 3 Thinkest thou this, O man who judgest them that do such things, and yet doest the same; that thou wilt escape the judgment of God? 4 or, despisest thou the richness of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering? not knowing, that the goodness of God is urging thee to repentance; 5 while thou, after thy hardness and impenitent heart, art treasuring up for thyself wrath, against the day of wrath and revelation of the just judgment of God, who will render to every one according to his deeds: 6 to them who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life; 7 but, to them that are contentious and obey not the truth, but obey iniquity, indignation and wrath: 8 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who doeth evil; of the Jew indeed first, but also of the Gentile; 9 but, glory, and honour, and peace, to every one that worketh good; to the Jew first, but also to the Gentile : 10 for, there is no distinction of persons with God: 11 for, all who have sinned without the law, will also perish without the law and all who have sinned within the law, will be judged by the law: 12 for, not the hearers of the law, will be accounted just before God; but the doers of the law, will be justified; 13 for, when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by their nature the things prescribed by i. e. the ten the law, these, though they have not the law, are a law 28: to themselves; commandments. Exod. xxxiv. 23; xx. 1-17. 14 who shew, that the work of the law is written in their c. i. 19, 20. hearts, by their conscience bearing witness with it; 15 and by their reasonings among themselves, which will accuse, or defend them in that day, when God will judge the Is. lii. 5. 23. v. 13, 14. secrets of men, by Christ Jesus, according to my gospel. 16 Behold, thou art called, who art a Jew, and reposest on the law, and makest thy boast of God; 17 and knowest his will, and discernest its excellence, being instructed out of the law; 18 and art confident, that thou thyself art a guide to the blind; a light to them that are in darkness; 19 an instructor of the unwise; a teacher of infants; who possessest, in the law, the form of knowledge and of the truth: 20 thou, then, who teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou, who preachest that a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 21 thou, who sayest that a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou, who abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 22 thou, who boastest of the law, dost thou dishonour God by transgressing the law? 23 for, as it is written, "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you." 24 For, thy circumcision indeed profiteth thee, if thou keep the law; but, if thou art a transgressor of the law, thy circumcision becometh as uncircumcision: sion keep the rules of the law, will not his uncircumcision be accounted to him as circumcision? 26 yea, the uncircumcision that is by nature, if it fulfil the law, will judge thee, who, with the letter and circumcision, transgressest the law? 27 for, he is not a Jew, who is such outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is only outward in the flesh: 28 but, he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and whose circumcision is that of the heart; in the spirit, and not only in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God. 25 if, then, the uncircumci- what shall we say? That God T Ps. xiv. 1. Ib. v. 9. Is. lix. 7. is unjust who exerciseth wrath? (I speak as a man :) 6 God forbid for then, how shall God judge the world? 7 Yet, if God's truth hath the more abounded to his glory through my falsehood, why am I still judged as a sinner? 8 and why should we not say, (as we are slanderously reported to say, and as some affirm that we do say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just. 9 What then? are we, Jews, better than others? Not at all; for we have before shewn, that all, both Jews and Gentiles, are under sin; 10 as it is written, "There is none just, no, not one: "their throat is an open "sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their "lips: 17" and the way of peace "they have not known: 18 "there is no fear of God Ps. xxxvi. 1. "before their eyes." 19 Now, we know that what ever the law saith, it speaketh to those who are within the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and that all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: 20 wherefore, by a law of works, no flesh will be justified in his sight; for, by a law, is the recognition of a sin. 21 But now, the justification of God, apart from the law, (which was testified by the law and the prophets,) is manifested, 22 even the justification of God by faith, to all that believe: for there is no distinction: 23 for, all have sinned, and have come short of the glory of God; 24 but they are justified, freely, by his grace, through the redemption that is by Christ Jesus, 25 whom God foreordained, for a propitiation through faith in his blood, C. X. 13. 26 to be a proof of his justi- Matt. iii. 15. fication; by the remission of 14" whose mouth is full of past sins, through the forbear "cursing and bitterness: 15 "their feet are swift to "shed blood: ance of God: 27 to be a proof of his justification, at the present time; that he 16 "destruction and misery might be just, and the justifier 66 are in their ways; of him who believeth in Jesus. Luke, i. 73 |