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 3:19

3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under ¹  the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Romans 1:28--2:16

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  1:29 They are filled ⁴  with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with ⁵  envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, 1:31 senseless, covenant-breakers, ⁶  heartless, ruthless. 1:32 Although they fully know ⁷  God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, ⁸  they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them. ⁹ 

The Condemnation of the Moralist

2:1 ¹⁰ Therefore ¹¹  you are without excuse, ¹²  whoever you are, ¹³  when you judge someone else. ¹⁴  For on whatever grounds ¹⁵  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. 2:2 Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth ¹⁶  against those who practice such things. 2:3 And do you think, ¹⁷  whoever you are, when you judge ¹⁸  those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, ¹⁹  that you will escape God’s judgment? 2:4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know ²⁰  that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 2:5 But because of your stubbornness ²¹  and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! ²²  2:6 He ²³  will reward ²⁴  each one according to his works: ²⁵  2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but ²⁶  wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition ²⁷  and do not obey the truth but follow ²⁸  unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be ²⁹  affliction and distress on everyone ³⁰  who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, ³¹  2:10 but ³²  glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 2:11 For there is no partiality with God. 2:12 For all who have sinned apart from the law ³³  will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 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. ³⁴  2:14 For whenever the Gentiles, ³⁵  who do not have the law, do by nature ³⁶  the things required by the law, ³⁷  these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. 2:15 They ³⁸  show that the work of the law is written ³⁹  in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend ⁴⁰  them, ⁴¹  2:16 on the day when God will judge ⁴²  the secrets of human hearts, ⁴³  according to my gospel ⁴⁴  through Christ Jesus.

Romans 11:32

11:32 For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all. ⁴⁵ 

Ecclesiastes 7:20

7:20 For ⁴⁶  there is not one truly ⁴⁷  righteous person on the earth

who continually does good and never sins.

Galatians 3:22

3:22 But the scripture imprisoned ⁴⁸  everything and everyone ⁴⁹  under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the faithfulness ⁵⁰  of Jesus Christ – to those who believe.

Galatians 3:1

Justification by Law or by Faith?

3:1 You ⁵¹  foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell ⁵²  on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed ⁵³  as crucified!

Galatians 1:8-10

1:8 But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach ⁵⁴  a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, ⁵⁵  let him be condemned to hell! ⁵⁶  1:9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! ⁵⁷  1:10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, ⁵⁸  or of God? Or am I trying to please people? ⁵⁹  If I were still trying to please ⁶⁰  people, ⁶¹  I would not be a slave ⁶²  of Christ!

[3:19]  ¹ tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”

[1:28]  ¹ tn Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”

[1:28]  ² tn Grk “the things that are improper.”

[1:29]  ¹ tn Grk “being filled” or “having been filled,” referring to those described in v. 28. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:29]  ² tn Grk “malice, full of,” continuing the description. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:31]  ¹ tn Or “promise-breakers.”

[1:32]  ¹ tn Grk “who, knowing…, not only do them but also approve…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:32]  ² tn Grk “are worthy of death.”

[1:32]  ³ sn “Vice lists” like vv. 28-32 can be found elsewhere in the NT in Matt 15:19; Gal 5:19-21; 1 Tim 1:9-10; and 1 Pet 4:3. An example from the intertestamental period can be found in Wis 14:25-26.

[2:1]  ¹ sn Rom 2:1-29 presents unusual difficulties for the interpreter. There have been several major approaches to the chapter and the group(s) it refers to: (1) Rom 2:14 refers to Gentile Christians, not Gentiles who obey the Jewish law. (2) Paul in Rom 2 is presenting a hypothetical viewpoint: If anyone could obey the law, that person would be justified, but no one can. (3) The reference to “the ones who do the law” in 2:13 are those who “do” the law in the right way, on the basis of faith, not according to Jewish legalism. (4) Rom 2:13 only speaks about Christians being judged in the future, along with such texts as Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10. (5) Paul’s material in Rom 2 is drawn heavily from Diaspora Judaism, so that the treatment of the law presented here cannot be harmonized with other things Paul says about the law elsewhere (E. P. Sanders, Paul, the Law, and the Jewish People, 123); another who sees Rom 2 as an example of Paul’s inconsistency in his treatment of the law is H. Räisänen, Paul and the Law [WUNT], 101-9. (6) The list of blessings and curses in Deut 27–30 provide the background for Rom 2; the Gentiles of 2:14 are Gentile Christians, but the condemnation of Jews in 2:17-24 addresses the failure of Jews as a nation to keep the law as a whole (A. Ito, “Romans 2: A Deuteronomistic Reading,” JSNT 59 [1995]: 21-37).

[2:1]  ² tn Some interpreters (e.g., C. K. Barrett, Romans [HNTC], 43) connect the inferential Διό (dio, “therefore”) with 1:32a, treating 1:32b as a parenthetical comment by Paul.

[2:1]  ³ tn That is, “you have nothing to say in your own defense” (so translated by TCNT).

[2:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “O man.”

[2:1]  ⁵ tn Grk “Therefore, you are without excuse, O man, everyone [of you] who judges.”

[2:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “in/by (that) which.”

[2:2]  ¹ tn Or “based on truth.”

[2:3]  ¹ tn Grk “do you think this,” referring to the clause in v. 3b.

[2:3]  ² tn Grk “O man, the one who judges.”

[2:3]  ³ tn Grk “and do them.” The other words are supplied to bring out the contrast implied in this clause.

[2:4]  ¹ tn Grk “being unaware.”

[2:5]  ¹ tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.

[2:5]  ² tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

[2:6]  ¹ tn Grk “who.” 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.

[2:6]  ² tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.

[2:6]  ³ sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.

[2:8]  ¹ tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.

[2:8]  ² tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”

[2:8]  ³ tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”

[2:9]  ¹ tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”

[2:9]  ² tn Grk “every soul of man.”

[2:9]  ³ sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.

[2:10]  ¹ tn Grk “but even,” to emphasize the contrast. The second word has been omitted since it is somewhat redundant in English idiom.

[2:12]  ¹ sn This is the first occurrence of law (nomos) in Romans. Exactly what Paul means by the term has been the subject of much scholarly debate. According to J. A. Fitzmyer (Romans [AB], 131-35; 305-6) there are at least four different senses: (1) figurative, as a “principle”; (2) generic, meaning “a law”; (3) as a reference to the OT or some part of the OT; and (4) as a reference to the Mosaic law. This last usage constitutes the majority of Paul’s references to “law” in Romans.

[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.”

[2:14]  ¹ sn Gentile is a NT term for a non-Jew.

[2:14]  ² tn Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:135-37) take the phrase φύσει (fusei, “by nature”) to go with the preceding “do not have the law,” thus: “the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature,” that is, by virtue of not being born Jewish.

[2:14]  ³ tn Grk “do by nature the things of the law.”

[2:15]  ¹ tn Grk “who.” 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.

[2:15]  ² tn Grk “show the work of the law [to be] written,” with the words in brackets implied by the Greek construction.

[2:15]  ³ tn Or “excuse.”

[2:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “their conscience bearing witness and between the thoughts accusing or also defending one another.”

[2:16]  ¹ tn The form of the Greek word is either present or future, but it is best to translate in future because of the context of future judgment.

[2:16]  ² tn Grk “of people.”

[2:16]  ³ sn On my gospel cf. Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8.

[11:32]  ¹ tn Grk “to all”; “them” has been supplied for stylistic reasons.

[7:20]  ¹ tn The introductory particle כִּי (ki) is rendered variously: “for” (KJV); “indeed” (NASB); not translated (NIV); “for” (NJPS). The particle functions in an explanatory sense, explaining the need for wisdom in v. 19. Righteousness alone cannot always protect a person from calamity (7:15-16); therefore, something additional, such as wisdom, is needed. The need for wisdom as protection from calamity is particularly evident in the light of the fact that no one is truly righteous (7:19-20).

[7:20]  ² tn The term “truly” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity. Qoheleth does not deny the existence of some people who are relatively righteous.

[3:22]  ¹ tn Or “locked up.”

[3:22]  ² tn Grk “imprisoned all things” but τὰ πάντα (ta panta) includes people as part of the created order. Because people are the emphasis of Paul’s argument ( “given to those who believe” at the end of this verse.), “everything and everyone” was used here.

[3:22]  ³ tn Or “so that the promise could be given by faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.” 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 Rom 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 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.

[3:1]  ¹ tn Grk “O” (an interjection used both in address and emotion). In context the following section is highly charged emotionally.

[3:1]  ² tn Or “deceived”; the verb βασκαίνω (baskainw) can be understood literally here in the sense of bewitching by black magic, but could also be understood figuratively to refer to an act of deception (see L&N 53.98 and 88.159).

[3:1]  ³ tn Or “publicly placarded,” “set forth in a public proclamation” (BDAG 867 s.v. προγράφω 2).

[1:8]  ¹ tc ‡ Most witnesses have ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”) either after (א² A [D* ὑμᾶς] 6 33 326 614 945 1881 Ï Tert^pt Ambst) or before (Ì^51vid B H 0278 630 1175 [1739* ἡμῖν]) εὐαγγελίζηται (euaggelizhtai, “should preach” [or some variation on the form of this verb]). But the fact that it floats suggests its inauthenticity, especially since it appears to be a motivated reading for purposes of clarification. The following witnesses lack the pronoun: א* F G Ψ ar b g Cyp Mcion^T Tert^pt Lcf. The external evidence admittedly is not as weighty as evidence for the pronoun, but coupled with strong internal evidence the shorter reading should be considered original. Although it is possible that scribes may have deleted the pronoun to make Paul’s statement seem more universal, the fact that the pronoun floats suggests otherwise. NA²⁷ has the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[1:8]  ² tn Or “other than the one we preached to you.”

[1:8]  ³ tn Grk “let him be accursed” (ἀνάθεμα, anaqema). The translation gives the outcome which is implied by this dreadful curse.

[1:9]  ¹ tn See the note on this phrase in the previous verse.

[1:10]  ¹ tn Grk “of men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ² tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ³ tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively (ExSyn 550).

[1:10]  ⁴ tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ⁵ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.