That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Of course not! How can we who died as far as sin is concerned go on living in it?

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

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.

knowing as we do that our old self has been crucified with him in order to crush the sinful body and free us from any further slavery to sin

And our belief is, that, as we have shared Christ's Death, we shall also share his Life.

knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more power over Him: for as He died, He died once for all on account of sin;

For when he died, he died once and for all as far as sin is concerned. But now that he is alive, he lives for God.

In the same way you also must regard yourselves as dead in relation to sin, but as alive in relation to God, because you are in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts and passions.

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.

For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy].

What are we to conclude? Are we to keep on sinning, because we are not living as slaves to law but as subjects to God's favor? Never!

Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves as'servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

and being set free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness??19 I speak in these homely figures because of the weakness of your fleshly nature??ust as you once surrendered your faculties into slavery to impurity and to all lawlessness, so now you must surrender your faculties into slavery to righteousness, unto deeds of holiness.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

For, when ye were servants of sin, ye were free as to righteousness; -

But now that you have been set free from the tyranny of Sin, and have become the bondservants of God, you have your reward in being made holy, and you have the Life of the Ages as the final result.

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

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, the husband being alive, she shall be called an adulteress if she be to another man; but if the husband should die, she is free from the law, so as not to be an adulteress, though she be to another man.

Therefore, my fellow believers, you too died to the Law through the [crucified] body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were excited by the law, were active in our members, so as to bring forth fruit to death:

But now that we have died to what controlled us and have been released from [the requirements of] the law of Moses [i.e., under the Gospel age], we serve [God] in a new way [directed] by the Holy Spirit [Note: Some take "Spirit" here to be "spirit" and see it as describing the inner person], and not in the old way [directed] by the written law of Moses.

What follows? Is the Law itself a sinful thing? No, indeed; on the contrary, unless I had been taught by the Law, I should have known nothing of sin as sin. For instance, I should not have known what covetousness is, if the Law had not repeatedly said, "Thou shalt not covet."

So, through that commandment, sin found an opportunity to produce in my heart all kinds of improper desires for what belonged to others. For until there was the law, sin was dead [i.e., it did not stimulate excitement and activity as much].

And the commandment, which was for life, was found, as to me, itself to be unto death:

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].

Did that which is good [the Law], then become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, in order that it might be revealed as sin, was producing death in me by [using] this good thing [as a weapon], so that through the commandment sin would become exceedingly sinful.

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am merely human, sold as a slave to sin.

For what I do, I do not recognize as my own action. What I desire to do is not what I do, but what I am averse to is what I do.

As it is, I am no longer the one who is doing it, but it is the sin that is living in me.

I cannot be good as I want to be, and I do wrong against my wishes.

I delight in the law of God, as concerning the inner man.

For this cause those who are in Christ Jesus will not be judged as sinners.

For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son],

in order to secure the fulfilment of the Law's requirements in our lives, as we live and move not by the flesh but by the Spirit.

Inasmuch as, what is preferred by the flesh, is hostile towards God, for, unto the law of God, it doth not submit itself, neither in fact can it. -

so that they who are in a carnal state, cannot be acceptable to the divine being. as for you,

But if Christ is in you, the body is dead so far as sin is concerned; but the Spirit is life so far as righteousness is concerned.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

You have not for the second time acquired the consciousness of being--a consciousness which fills you with terror. But you have acquired a deep inward conviction of having been adopted as sons--a conviction which prompts us to cry aloud, "Abba! our Father!"

and if children, heirs as well, heirs of God, heirs along with Christ ??for we share his sufferings in order to share his glory.

Why, what we now suffer I count as nothing in comparison with the glory which is soon to be manifested in us.

For all creation, gazing eagerly as if with outstretched neck, is waiting and longing to see the manifestation of the sons of God.

Yet there was always the hope that at last the Creation itself would also be set free from the thraldom of decay so as to enjoy the liberty that will attend the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the entire created world moans in painful anguish [i.e., as a woman in childbirth] until this present moment.

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].

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

We know, further, that, unto them who love God, God causeth all things to work together for good, - unto them who, according to purpose, are such as he hath called;

For those on whom He set His heart beforehand He marked off as His own to be made like His Son, that He might be the eldest of many brothers;

And those whom he before appointed, he also called; and those whom he called, he also accepted as righteous; and those whom he accepted as righteous, he also glorified.

The one who did not spare his own Son, but offered him as a sacrifice for all of us, surely will give us all things, along with his Son, won't he?

Who shall bring any charge against the chosen of God? God is he who accepteth them as righteous.

Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us.

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

nor hight, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. SECTION THIRD. God's Dealings with Israel as a People,

I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--

For I have wished myself to be cursed from Christ, for my brethren and my kinsmen as pertaining to the flesh:

who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, the glory (Shekinah), the [special] covenants [with Abraham, Moses, and David], the giving of the Law, the [system of temple] worship, and the [original] promises.

Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

they are not all children of Abraham because they are descended from Abraham. No, it is through Isaac that your offspring shall be reckoned ??8 meaning that instead of God's children being the children born to him by natural descent, it is the children of the Promise who are reckoned as his true offspring.

That is, they that are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed.

and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,

As it is written, I have loved Jacob,

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

So then God’s choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses—it is His sovereign gift].

Thus God has mercy on anyone just as he pleases, and he makes anyone stubborn just as he pleases.

"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"

So as to make known his surpassing glory in dealing with the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory,

including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well?

As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For Christ is the end of the law [it leads to Him and its purpose is fulfilled in Him], for [granting] righteousness to everyone who believes [in Him as Savior].

For, Moses, writeth that - as touching the righteousness that is by law, The man that hath done it , shall live thereby;

But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),

or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead [as if we had to be saved by our own efforts, doing the impossible].”

because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved:

For with the heart man believeth so as to obtain righteousness, and with the mouth professeth so as to obtain salvation.

As the passage of Scripture says--'No one who believes in him shall have any cause for shame.'

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.”

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

But I say, did they not hear? Indeed they have;

“Their voice [that of creation bearing God’s message] has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the [farthest] ends of the world.”

But I say, did Israel fail to understand [that the gospel was to go also to the Gentiles]? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation (Gentiles);
With a nation that lacks understanding I will make you angry.”

Then Isaiah is very bold and says,

“I have been found by those who did not seek Me;
I have shown Myself to those who did not [consciously] ask for Me.”

But as to Israel he saith, All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

I say then, has God rejected and disowned His people? Certainly not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

But if in love, then no longer as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.

What then? What Israel seeks, this it did not obtain, but the election obtained; and the rest were hardened,??8 as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear??o this day.

(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

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].

let their eyes be darkned, so as not to see, and let their back be continually bowed down."

So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites).