concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh

including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:

To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you,

So I am eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.

We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.

Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment?

eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality;

but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness;

affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;

but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

All those who sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law.

you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal?

You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?

You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision.

For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh.

On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.

There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away;
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.

Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.

—that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed.

But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.

Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the man God credits righteousness to apart from works:

How joyful is the man
the Lord will never charge with sin!

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.

And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.

If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled.

This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all

in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.

Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims.

And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.

Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives?

Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?

in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope

And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?

Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?
God is the One who justifies.

Who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is the One who died,
but even more, has been raised;
He also is at the right hand of God
and intercedes for us.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
Can affliction or anguish or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than victorious
through Him who loved us.

The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.

not from works but from the One who calls—she was told: The older will serve the younger.

For He tells Moses:

I will show mercy
to whom I will show mercy,
and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion.

So then it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.

So then, He shows mercy to those He wants to, and He hardens those He wants to harden.

You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?”

But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”

on us, the ones He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

As He also says in Hosea:

I will call Not My People, My People,
and she who is Unloved, Beloved.

What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

As it is written:

Look! I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over
and a rock to trip over,
yet the one who believes on Him
will not be put to shame.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.

But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down

or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame,

for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him.

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!

But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?

But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said:

I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding.

And Isaiah says boldly:

I was found
by those who were not looking for Me;
I revealed Myself
to those who were not asking for Me.

God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?

But what was God’s reply to him? I have left 7,000 men for Myself who have not bowed down to Baal.

Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?

Or who has ever first given to Him,
and has to be repaid?

in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.

For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.

Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.