Romans 2:13

2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. ¹ 

Romans 2:21

2:21 therefore ²  you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?

Romans 2:26

2:26 Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys ³  the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Romans 2:28

2:28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh,

Romans 3:9

The Condemnation of the World

3:9 What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin,

Romans 3:20

3:20 For no one is declared righteous before him ⁴  by the works of the law, ⁵  for through the law comes ⁶  the knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:22

3:22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ ⁷  for all who believe. For there is no distinction,

Romans 4:10

4:10 How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!

Romans 5:3

5:3 Not ⁸  only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Romans 5:13

5:13 for before the law was given, ⁹  sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin ¹⁰  when there is no law.

Romans 8:18

8:18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared ¹¹  to the glory that will be revealed to us.

Romans 8:20

8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God ¹²  who subjected it – in hope

Romans 8:24

8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

Romans 9:1

Israel’s Rejection Considered

9:1 ¹³ I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me ¹⁴  in the Holy Spirit –

Romans 9:32

9:32 Why not? Because they pursued ¹⁵  it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. ¹⁶  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ¹⁷ 

Romans 10:16

10:16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁸ 

Romans 11:18

11:18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Romans 12:4

12:4 For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function,

Romans 15:20

15:20 And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation,

[2:13]  ¹ tn The Greek sentence expresses this contrast more succinctly than is possible in English. Grk “For not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.”

[2:21]  ² tn The structure of vv. 21-24 is difficult. Some take these verses as the apodosis of the conditional clauses (protases) in vv. 17-20; others see vv. 17-20 as an instance of anacoluthon (a broken off or incomplete construction).

[2:26]  ³ tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.

[3:20]  ⁴ sn An allusion to Ps 143:2.

[3:20]  ⁵ tn Grk “because by the works of the law no flesh is justified before him.” Some recent scholars have understood the phrase ἒργα νόμου (erga nomou, “works of the law”) to refer not to obedience to the Mosaic law generally, but specifically to portions of the law that pertain to things like circumcision and dietary laws which set the Jewish people apart from the other nations (e.g., J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC], 1:155). Other interpreters, like C. E. B. Cranfield (“‘The Works of the Law’ in the Epistle to the Romans,” JSNT 43 [1991]: 89-101) reject this narrow interpretation for a number of reasons, among which the most important are: (1) The second half of v. 20, “for through the law comes the knowledge of sin,” is hard to explain if the phrase “works of the law” is understood in a restricted sense; (2) the plural phrase “works of the law” would have to be understood in a different sense from the singular phrase “the work of the law” in 2:15; (3) similar phrases involving the law in Romans (2:13, 14; 2:25, 26, 27; 7:25; 8:4; and 13:8) which are naturally related to the phrase “works of the law” cannot be taken to refer to circumcision (in fact, in 2:25 circumcision is explicitly contrasted with keeping the law). Those interpreters who reject the “narrow” interpretation of “works of the law” understand the phrase to refer to obedience to the Mosaic law in general.

[3:20]  ⁶ tn Grk “is.”

[3:22]  ⁵ tn Or “faith in Christ.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pisti" Cristou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in v. 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22; Eph 3:12; Phil 3:9) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view.

[5:3]  ⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[5:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “for before the law.”

[5:13]  ⁸ tn Or “sin is not reckoned.”

[8:18]  ⁸ tn Grk “are not worthy [to be compared].”

[8:20]  ⁹ tn Grk “because of the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:1]  ¹⁰ sn Rom 9:1–11:36. These three chapters are among the most difficult and disputed in Paul’s Letter to the Romans. One area of difficulty is the relationship between Israel and the church, especially concerning the nature and extent of Israel’s election. Many different models have been constructed to express this relationship. For a representative survey, see M. Barth, The People of God (JSNTSup), 22-27. The literary genre of these three chapters has been frequently identified as a diatribe, a philosophical discussion or conversation evolved by the Cynic and Stoic schools of philosophy as a means of popularizing their ideas (E. Käsemann, Romans, 261 and 267). But other recent scholars have challenged the idea that Rom 9–11 is characterized by diatribe. Scholars like R. Scroggs and E. E. Ellis have instead identified the material in question as midrash. For a summary and discussion of the rabbinic connections, see W. R. Stegner, “Romans 9.6-29 – A Midrash,” JSNT 22 (1984): 37-52.

[9:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “my conscience bears witness to me.”

[9:32]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Why? Because not by faith but as though by works.” The verb (“they pursued [it]”) is to be supplied from the preceding verse for the sake of English style; yet a certain literary power is seen in Paul’s laconic style.

[9:32]  ¹² tc Most mss, especially the later ones (א² D Ψ 33 Ï sy), read νόμου (nomou, “of the law”) here, echoing Paul’s usage in Rom 3:20, 28 and elsewhere. The qualifying phrase is lacking in א* A B F G 6 629 630 1739 1881 pc lat co. The longer reading thus is weaker externally and internally, being motivated apparently by a need to clarify.

[9:32]  ¹³ tn Grk “the stone of stumbling.”

[10:16]  ¹² sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.