1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, 2 God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done. 3
“I will call those who were not my people, ‘My people,’ and I will call her who was unloved, 7 ‘My beloved.’” 8
11:1 So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
13:11 And do this 12 because we know 13 the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.
1 tn Grk “heart.”
2 tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”
3 tn Grk “the things that are improper.”
3 tn The two aorist participles translated “freed” and “enslaved” are causal in force; their full force is something like “But now, since you have become freed from sin and since you have become enslaved to God….”
4 tn Grk “fruit.”
4 tc ὁ θεός (Jo qeos, “God”) is found after the verb συνεργεῖ (sunergei, “work”) in v. 28 by Ì46 A B 81 sa; the shorter reading is found in א C D F G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï latt sy bo. Although the inclusion is supported by a significant early papyrus, the alliance of significant Alexandrian and Western witnesses favors the shorter reading. As well, the longer reading is evidently motivated by a need for clarification. Since ὁ θεός is textually suspect, it is better to read the text without it. This leaves two good translational options: either “he works all things together for good” or “all things work together for good.” In the first instance the subject is embedded in the verb and “God” is clearly implied (as in v. 29). In the second instance, πάντα (panta) becomes the subject of an intransitive verb. In either case, “What is expressed is a truly biblical confidence in the sovereignty of God” (C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:427).
5 tn Grk “and her who was not beloved, ‘Beloved.’”
6 sn A quotation from Hos 2:23.
6 sn A quotation from Deut 9:4.
7 sn A quotation from Deut 30:12.
7 sn A quotation from Isa 65:2.
8 tn Grk “and this,” probably referring to the command to love (13:8-10); hence, “do” is implied from the previous verses.
9 tn The participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
9 tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.
10 sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.
10 sn The spelling Epenetus is also used by NIV, NLT; the name is alternately spelled Epaenetus (NASB, NKJV, NRSV).
11 tn Grk “first fruit.” This is a figurative use referring to Epenetus as the first Christian convert in the region.
12 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.