Romans 3–6

Chapter 3

¹What then is the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of circumcision? ²Much every way: and first, indeed, that to them were entrusted the oracles of God. ³For what? if some have not believed, shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect? ⁴Far be the thought: but let God be true, and every man false; according as it is written, So that thou shouldest be justified in thy words, and shouldest overcome when thou art in judgment. ⁵But if our unrighteousness commend God’s righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak according to man. ⁶Far be the thought: since how shall God judge the world? ⁷For if the truth of God, in my lie, has more abounded to his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner? ⁸and not, according as we are injuriously charged, and according as some affirm that we say, Let us practise evil things, that good ones may come? whose judgment is just. ⁹What then? are we better? No, in no wise: for we have before charged both Jews and Greeks with being all under sin: ¹⁰according as it is written, There is not a righteous man, not even one; ¹¹there is not the man that understands, there is not one that seeks after God. ¹²All have gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable; there is not one that practises goodness, there is not so much as one: ¹³their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; asps’ poison is under their lips: ¹⁴whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; ¹⁵swift their feet to shed blood; ¹⁶ruin and misery are in their ways, ¹⁷and way of peace they have not known: ¹⁸there is no fear of God before their eyes.

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the things the law says, it speaks to those under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world be under judgment to God. ²⁰Wherefore by works of law no flesh shall be justified before him; for by law is knowledge of sin. ²¹But now without law righteousness of God is manifested, borne witness to by the law and the prophets; ²²righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ towards all, and upon all those who believe: for there is no difference; ²³for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; ²⁵whom God has set forth a mercy-seat, through faith in his blood, for the shewing forth of his righteousness, in respect of the passing by the sins that had taken place before, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶for the shewing forth of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just, and justify him that is of the faith of Jesus. ²⁷Where then is boasting? It has been excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by law of faith; ²⁸for we reckon that a man is justified by faith, without works of law. ²⁹Is God the God of Jews only? is he not of the nations also? Yea, of nations also: ³⁰since indeed it is one God who shall justify the circumcision on the principle of faith, and uncircumcision by faith. ³¹Do we then make void law by faith? Far be the thought: no, but we establish law.

Chapter 4

¹What shall we say then that Abraham our father according to flesh has found? ²For if Abraham has been justified on the principle of works, he has whereof to boast: but not before God; ³for what does the scripture say? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. ⁴Now to him that works the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but of debt: ⁵but to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. ⁶Even as David also declares the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness without works: ⁷Blessed they whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered: ⁸blessed the man to whom the Lord shall not at all reckon sin.

⁹Does this blessedness then rest on the circumcision, or also on the uncircumcision? For we say that faith has been reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰How then has it been reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. ¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision as seal of the righteousness of faith which he had being in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all them that believe being in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned to them also; ¹²and father of circumcision, not only to those who are of the circumcision, but to those also who walk in the steps of the faith, during uncircumcision, of our father Abraham. ¹³For it was not by law that the promise was to Abraham, or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world, but by righteousness of faith. ¹⁴For if they which are of law be heirs, faith is made vain, and the promise made of no effect. ¹⁵For law works wrath; but where no law is neither is there transgression. ¹⁶Therefore it is on the principle of faith, that it might be according to grace, in order to the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of Abraham’s faith, who is father of us all,

¹⁷(according as it is written, I have made thee father of many nations,) before the God whom he believed, who quickens the dead, and calls the things which be not as being; ¹⁸who against hope believed in hope to his becoming father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be: ¹⁹and not being weak in faith, he considered not his own body already become dead, being about a hundred years old, and the deadening of Sarah’s womb, ²⁰and hesitated not at the promise of God through unbelief; but found strength in faith, giving glory to God; ²¹and being fully persuaded that what he has promised he is able also to do; ²²wherefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

²³Now it was not written on his account alone that it was reckoned to him, ²⁴but on ours also, to whom, believing on him who has raised from among the dead Jesus our Lord, ²⁵who has been delivered for our offences and has been raised for our justification, it will be reckoned.

Chapter 5

¹Therefore having been justified on the principle of faith, we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ; ²by whom we have also access by faith into this favour in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance; ⁴and endurance, experience; and experience, hope; ⁵and hope does not make ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us:

⁶for we being still without strength, in the due time Christ has died for the ungodly. ⁷For scarcely for the just man will one die, for perhaps for the good man some one might also dare to die; ⁸but God commends his love to us, in that, we being still sinners, Christ has died for us. ⁹Much rather therefore, having been now justified in the power of his blood, we shall be saved by him from wrath. ¹⁰For if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much rather, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in the power of his life. ¹¹And not only that, but we are making our boast in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received the reconciliation. ¹²For this cause, even as by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death; and thus death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ¹³(for until law sin was in the world; but sin is not put to account when there is no law; ¹⁴but death reigned from Adam until Moses, even upon those who had not sinned in the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him to come. ¹⁵But shall not the act of favour be as the offence? For if by the offence of one the many have died, much rather has the grace of God, and the free gift in grace, which is by the one man Jesus Christ, abounded unto the many. ¹⁶And shall not as by one that has sinned be the gift? For the judgment was of one to condemnation, but the act of favour, of many offences unto justification. ¹⁷For if by the offence of the one death reigned by the one, much rather shall those who receive the abundance of grace, and of the free gift of righteousness, reign in life by the one Jesus Christ:) ¹⁸so then as it was by one offence towards all men to condemnation, so by one righteousness towards all men for justification of life. ¹⁹For as indeed by the disobedience of the one man the many have been constituted sinners, so also by the obedience of the one the many will be constituted righteous. ²⁰But law came in, in order that the offence might abound; but where sin abounded grace has overabounded, ²¹in order that, even as sin has reigned in the power of death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Chapter 6

¹What then shall we say? Should we continue in sin that grace may abound? ²Far be the thought. We who have died to sin, how shall we still live in it? ³Are you ignorant that we, as many as have been baptised unto Christ Jesus, have been baptised unto his death? ⁴We have been buried therefore with him by baptism unto death, in order that, even as Christ has been raised up from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵For if we are become identified with him in the likeness of his death, so also we shall be of his resurrection; ⁶knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with him, that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin. ⁷For he that has died is justified from sin. ⁸Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him, ⁹knowing that Christ having been raised up from among the dead dies no more: death has dominion over him no more. ¹⁰For in that he has died, he has died to sin once for all; but in that he…