Romans 11:19

11:19 Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”

Romans 4:1

The Illustration of Justification

4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, ¹  has discovered regarding this matter? ² 

Romans 6:1

The Believer’s Freedom from Sin’s Domination

6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?

Romans 8:31

8:31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 9:14

9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

Romans 9:19

9:19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?”

Romans 9:30

Israel’s Rejection Culpable

9:30 What shall we say then? – that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,

Romans 3:5

3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates ³  the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he? ⁴  (I am speaking in human terms.) ⁵ 

Romans 4:18

4:18 Against hope Abraham ⁶  believed ⁷  in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations ⁸  according to the pronouncement, ⁹  “so will your descendants be.” ¹⁰ 

Romans 9:20

9:20 But who indeed are you – a mere human being ¹¹  – to talk back to God? ¹²  Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ¹³ 

Romans 7:7

7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I ¹⁴  would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else ¹⁵  if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” ¹⁶ 

[4:1]  ¹ tn Or “according to natural descent” (BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4).

[4:1]  ² tn Grk “has found?”

[3:5]  ¹ tn Or “shows clearly.”

[3:5]  ² tn Grk “That God is not unjust to inflict wrath, is he?”

[3:5]  ³ sn The same expression occurs in Gal 3:15, and similar phrases in Rom 6:19 and 1 Cor 9:8.

[4:18]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:18]  ² tn Grk “who against hope believed,” referring to Abraham. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:18]  ³ sn A quotation from Gen 17:5.

[4:18]  ⁴ tn Grk “according to that which had been spoken.”

[4:18]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Gen 15:5.

[9:20]  ¹ tn Grk “O man.”

[9:20]  ² tn Grk “On the contrary, O man, who are you to talk back to God?”

[9:20]  ³ sn A quotation from Isa 29:16; 45:9.

[7:7]  ¹ sn Romans 7:7-25. There has been an enormous debate over the significance of the first person singular pronouns (“I”) in this passage and how to understand their referent. Did Paul intend (1) a reference to himself and other Christians too; (2) a reference to his own pre-Christian experience as a Jew, struggling with the law and sin (and thus addressing his fellow countrymen as Jews); or (3) a reference to himself as a child of Adam, reflecting the experience of Adam that is shared by both Jews and Gentiles alike (i.e., all people everywhere)? Good arguments can be assembled for each of these views, and each has problems dealing with specific statements in the passage. The classic argument against an autobiographical interpretation was made by W. G. Kümmel, Römer 7 und die Bekehrung des Paulus. A good case for seeing at least an autobiographical element in the chapter has been made by G. Theissen, Psychologische Aspekte paulinischer Theologie [FRLANT], 181-268. One major point that seems to favor some sort of an autobiographical reading of these verses is the lack of any mention of the Holy Spirit for empowerment in the struggle described in Rom 7:7-25. The Spirit is mentioned beginning in 8:1 as the solution to the problem of the struggle with sin (8:4-6, 9).

[7:7]  ² tn Grk “I would not have known covetousness.”

[7:7]  ³ sn A quotation from Exod 20:17 and Deut 5:21.