Abraham Justified by Faith

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, (A)our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but (B)not before God. For what does the Scripture say? (C)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now (D)to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but (E)believes in[a] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

(F)“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not (G)count his sin.”

Is this blessing then only for (H)the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? (I)For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 (J)He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was (K)to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

The Promise Realized Through Faith

13 For (L)the promise to Abraham and his offspring (M)that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 (N)For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For (O)the law brings wrath, but (P)where there is no law (Q)there is no transgression.

16 That is why it depends on faith, (R)in order that the promise may rest on grace and (S)be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, (T)who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, (U)“I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, (V)who gives life to the dead and calls into existence (W)the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, (X)“So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was (Y)as good as dead ((Z)since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered (AA)the barrenness[b] of Sarah's womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that (AB)God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But (AC)the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us (AD)who believe in (AE)him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 (AF)who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised (AG)for our justification.

Peace with God Through Faith

(AH)Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, (AI)we[c] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also (AJ)obtained access by faith[d] into this grace (AK)in which we stand, and (AL)we[e] rejoice[f] in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we (AM)rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering (AN)produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and (AO)hope does not put us to shame, because God's love (AP)has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For (AQ)while we were still weak, at the right time (AR)Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but (AS)God shows his love for us in that (AT)while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, (AU)we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from (AV)the wrath of God. 10 For if (AW)while we were enemies (AX)we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by (AY)his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received (AZ)reconciliation.

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

12 Therefore, just as (BA)sin came into the world through one man, and (BB)death through sin, and (BC)so death spread to all men[g] because (BD)all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but (BE)sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not (BF)like the transgression of Adam, (BG)who was a type of (BH)the one who was to come.

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for (BI)many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For (BJ)the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought (BK)justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness (BL)reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as one trespass[h] led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness[i] leads to justification and life for (BM)all men. 19 For as by the one man's (BN)disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's (BO)obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now (BP)the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, (BQ)grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, (BR)as sin reigned in death, (BS)grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

What shall we say then? (BT)Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can (BU)we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us (BV)who have been baptized (BW)into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were (BX)buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as (BY)Christ was raised from the dead by (BZ)the glory of the Father, we too might walk in (CA)newness of life.

For (CB)if we have been united with him in (CC)a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that (CD)our old self[j] (CE)was crucified with him in order that (CF)the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For (CG)one who has died (CH)has been set free[k] from sin. Now (CI)if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that (CJ)Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; (CK)death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, (CL)once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves (CM)dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not (CN)sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 (CO)Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but (CP)present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For (CQ)sin (CR)will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Slaves to Righteousness

15 What then? (CS)Are we to sin (CT)because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves (CU)to anyone as obedient slaves,[l] you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But (CV)thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the (CW)standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, (CX)having been set free from sin, (CY)have become slaves of righteousness. 19 (CZ)I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For (DA)just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members (DB)as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

20 (DC)For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 (DD)But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things (DE)of which you are now ashamed? (DF)For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you (DG)have been set free from sin and (DH)have become slaves of God, (DI)the fruit you get leads to sanctification and (DJ)its end, eternal life. 23 (DK)For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:5 Or but trusts; compare verse 24
  2. Romans 4:19 Greek deadness
  3. Romans 5:1 Some manuscripts let us
  4. Romans 5:2 Some manuscripts omit by faith
  5. Romans 5:2 Or let us; also verse 3
  6. Romans 5:2 Or boast; also verses 3, 11
  7. Romans 5:12 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women; also twice in verse 18
  8. Romans 5:18 Or the trespass of one
  9. Romans 5:18 Or the act of righteousness of one
  10. Romans 6:6 Greek man
  11. Romans 6:7 Greek has been justified
  12. Romans 6:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse; also verses 17, 19 (twice), 20

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