How then can we assert, "that Abraham our father obtained this from circumcision?"

For if Abraham was justified [that is, acquitted from the guilt of his sins] by works [those things he did that were good], he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Now when a workman gets his pay, it is not considered from the point of view of a favor but of an obligation;

whereas in the case of a man who pleads no actions of his own, but simply believes in Him who declares the ungodly free from guilt, his faith is placed to his credit as righteousness.

Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,

and the father {of those who are circumcised} to those who are not only from the circumcision, but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham {which he had while uncircumcised}.

For the promise made to Abraham and his descendants that the world should belong to him did not come to him or his descendants through the Law, but through the uprightness that resulted from his faith.

For if those from law are heirs, faith has been made void, and the promise has been made useless.

For this cause, it is by faith, in order that it may be by way of favour, so that the promise is firm unto all the seed, - not unto that by the law only, but unto that also which is such by the faith of Abraham; who is father of us all, -

far from being weak in faith, unconcern'd at his own bodily decay, being then about an hundred years old, and at Sarah's incapacity of child-bearing,

On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].

Therefore having been made righteous from faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Through Jesus we have also gained access by [our] faith to this unearned favor [of God]. We stand firm in it, and are glad that we have the hope of being honored by God.

And [having such] hope keeps us from being disappointed, because God's love [for us] has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us [by God].

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today].

Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death resulted from sin, therefore everyone dies, because everyone has sinned.

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.

but the gift is very different from the trespass. For while the rest of men died by the trespass of one man, the grace of God and the free gift which comes by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed far more richly upon the rest of men.

And the gift [is] not as through the one who sinned, for on the one hand, judgment from the one [sin] [led] to condemnation, but the gift, from many trespasses, [led] to justification.

Now what are we to infer from this? That we are to 'remain on in sin, so that there may be all the more grace'?

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.

For, if we have become united with Christ in an act similar to His death [i.e., by being buried in water], we will also be [united with Him] in an act similar to His resurrection from the dead [i.e., our rising from the water to live a new life].

knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

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.

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.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

I will speak grossly because of the infirmity of your flesh. As ye have given your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity, from iniquity unto iniquity: even so now give your members servants unto righteousness, that ye may be sanctified.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death!

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

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.

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.

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.

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.

but sin, finding occasion, wrought in me through the commandment all manner of coveting: for apart from the law sin is dead.

And I was alive apart from the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died;

For sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, beguiled and completely deceived me, and using it as a weapon killed me [separating me from God].

For we know that the law of Moses is spiritual [i.e., from the Holy Spirit in origin and character], but I am fleshly, sold as a slave to sin. [Note: "Flesh" throughout this section refers to a person's natural inclinations to sin].

I do not understand my own actions. For I am so far from habitually doing what I want to do, that I find myself doing the very thing that I hate.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but with my flesh the law of sin.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did. By sending his own Son in the form of humanity, he condemned sin by being incarnate,

Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever];

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.

And if we are [His] children, then we have an inheritance from God [i.e., blessings here and hereafter] and are fellow-sharers with Christ [of such blessings], providing we [are willing to] suffer with Him, so we can also be honored with Him [i.e., in the future life. See verses 18-25].

For nature was subjected to imperfection, not by its own will, but by the will of Him who thus made it subject??21 yet not without the hope that some day nature itself also will be freed from the thralldom of decay, into the freedom which belongs to the glory of the children of God.

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

And not only this, but we too, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [a joyful indication of the blessings to come], even we groan inwardly, as we wait eagerly for [the sign of] our adoption as sons—the redemption and transformation of our body [at the resurrection].

For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.

and those whom He has pre-destined He also has called; and those whom He has called He has also declared free from guilt; and those whom He has declared free from guilt He has also crowned with glory.

What then should we conclude from this? [Just this]: If God is on our side, who can [successfully] oppose us?

God did not withhold His own Son [from dying], but offered Him up for all of us. [Since He did that], will He not, along with Jesus, freely give us everything [else] also?

Who shall impeach those whom God has chosen? God declares them free from guilt.

who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

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.

Bears me out when I say that there is a great weight of sorrow upon me and that my heart is never free from pain.

For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

who are Israelites; who had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the law, the form of divine worship, and the promises;

To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to His natural descent, came the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), He who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

But [it is] not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those [who are descended] from Israel [are truly] Israel,

nor because they are descendants of Abraham are they all children; but, "Thy offspring shall be reckoned from Isaac."

For this is what the promise declared: "About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son."

this appears too from the case of Rebecca, who conceived twins by our father Isaac.

(though the children were not yet born, nor had done any thing good or evil, that according to the election of God the purpose might abide, not from works, but from him who called;)

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

What will we say then? Is there injustice from God? May it not happen!

And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,

For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised thee up from amongst men, that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth.

nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form it, Why me didst thou make thus?

Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?

What if he means to show the wealth that lies in his glory for the objects of his mercy, whom he has made ready beforehand to receive glory ??24 that is, for us whom he has called from among the Gentiles as well as the Jews?

even us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?

And Isaiah calls out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is only the remnant [a small believing minority] that will be saved [from God’s judgment];

For the Lord will carry out His word in the world [i.e., He will require an accounting from the people] quickly and decisively."

It is as Isaiah foretold,

“If the Lord of Hosts had not left us seed [future generations from which a believing remnant of Israelites came],
We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah [totally rejected and destroyed]!”

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

And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;

Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to God’s righteousness.

For Moses writes about the righteousness [that is] from the law: "The person who does [this] will live by it."

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:)

Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

(that is, to bring Christ again from the dead) But what saith he? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach:

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.

And the Jew is not different from the Greek: for there is the same Lord of all, who is good to all who have hope in his name:

How then shall they call upon him in whom they did not believe? and how shall they believe on him of whom they did not hear? and how shall they hear apart from one preaching?

But they did not all pay attention to the good news [of salvation]; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.

And Isaiah says without fear, Those who were not searching for me made discovery of me; and I was seen by those whose hearts were turned away from me.

Therefore I say, God has not rejected his people, has he? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the descendants of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not rejected His [chosen] people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

And if it is by grace, it is no longer from works, otherwise grace becomes no longer grace. But if it is from works it is no longer grace, otherwise work is no longer work.

What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.

And King David said [Psa. 69:22-23], "Let their table ensnare and trap them [i.e., let the Jews' devotion to such things as lavish feasts become the occasion for leading them astray], and become an occasion for their falling [away from God]. And let them be repaid [for such conduct with punishment].