Romans 1:18-3:31

Christian Standard Bible

The Guilt of the Gentile World

¹⁸For God’s wrath^(A) is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,^(B) ¹⁹since what can be known^[a] about God is evident among them,^(C) because God has shown it to them. ²⁰For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,^(D) being understood through what he has made.^(E) As a result, people are without excuse. ²¹For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened.^(F) ²²Claiming to be wise, they became fools^(G) ²³and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.^(H)

²⁴Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts^(I) to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. ²⁵They exchanged the truth of God for a lie,^(J) and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever.^(K) Amen.

From Idolatry to Depravity

²⁶For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions.^(L) Their women^[b] exchanged natural sexual relations^[c] for unnatural ones. ²⁷The men^[d] in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men^(M) and received in their own persons^[e] the appropriate penalty of their error.

²⁸And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. ²⁹They are filled with all unrighteousness,^[f] evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,^(N) ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful,^(O) inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,^(P) ³¹senseless, untrustworthy, unloving,^[g]^(Q) and unmerciful. ³²Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die^[h]^(R)—they not only do them, but even applaud^[i]^(S) others who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore, every one of you^[j]^(T) who judges is without excuse.^(U) For when you judge another,^(V) you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. ²Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. ³Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴Or do you despise the riches of his kindness,^(W) restraint,^(X) and patience,^(Y) not recognizing^[k] that God’s kindness^(Z) is intended to lead you to repentance? ⁵Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath^(AA) for yourself in the day of wrath,^(AB) when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. ⁶He will repay each one according to his works:^[l]^(AC) ⁷eternal life^(AD) to those who by persistence in doing good^(AE) seek glory, honor,^(AF) and immortality;^(AG) ⁸but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking^(AH) and disobey the truth^(AI) while obeying unrighteousness. ⁹There will be affliction and distress^(AJ) for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;^(AK) ¹⁰but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. ¹¹For there is no favoritism with God.^(AL)

¹²For all who sin without the law^(AM) will also perish without the law, and all who sin under^[m] the law will be judged by the law. ¹³For the hearers of the law^(AN) are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.^[n] ¹⁴So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law,^(AO) do^[o] what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the work of the law^[p] is written on their hearts.^(AP) Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them^[q] ¹⁶on the day when God judges^(AQ) what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.^(AR)

Jewish Violation of the Law

¹⁷Now if^[r] you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law,^(AS) and boast in God, ¹⁸and know his will, and approve the things that are superior,^(AT) being instructed from the law, ¹⁹and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, ²⁰an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth^(AU) in the law— ²¹you then, who teach another,^(AV) don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? ²²You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples?^(AW) ²³You who boast in the law,^(AX) do you dishonor God by breaking the law?^[s] ²⁴For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.^[t]^(AY)

Circumcision of the Heart

²⁵Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.^(AZ) ²⁶So if an uncircumcised^(BA) man keeps the law’s requirements,^(BB) will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you^(BC) who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. ²⁸For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly,^(BD) and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. ²⁹On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly,^(BE) and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter.^[u]^(BF) That person’s praise is not from people but from God.^(BG)

Paul Answers an Objection

3 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? ²Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted^(BH) with the very words of God.^(BI) ³What then? If some were unfaithful,^(BJ) will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? ⁴Absolutely not!^(BK) Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar,^(BL) as it is written:

That you may be justified in your words
and triumph when you judge.^[v]^(BM)

⁵But if our unrighteousness highlights^[w] God’s righteousness,^(BN) what are we to say?^(BO) I am using a human argument:^[x]^(BP) Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? ⁶Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?^(BQ) ⁷But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner?^(BR) ⁸And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”?^(BS) Their condemnation is deserved!

The Whole World Guilty before God

⁹What then? Are we any better off?^[y] Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews^(BT) and Greeks^(BU) are all under sin,^[z]^(BV) ¹⁰as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.
¹¹There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
¹²All have turned away;
all alike have become worthless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.^[aa]^(BW)
¹³Their throat is an open grave;
they deceive with their tongues.^[ab]^(BX)
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.^[ac]^(BY)
¹⁴Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.^[ad]^(BZ)
¹⁵Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,
¹⁷and the path of peace they have not known.^[ae]^(CA)
¹⁸There is no fear of God before their eyes.^[af]^(CB)

¹⁹Now we know that whatever the law says,^(CC) it speaks to those who are subject to the law,^[ag]^(CD) so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.^[ah]^(CE) ²⁰For no one will be justified^[ai] in his sight by the works of the law,^(CF) because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.^(CG)

The Righteousness of God through Faith

²¹But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed,^(CH) attested by the Law and the Prophets.^[aj]^(CI) ²²The righteousness of God is through faith^(CJ) in Jesus Christ^[ak]^(CK) to all who believe,^(CL) since there is no distinction.^(CM) ²³For all have sinned^(CN) and fall short of the^[al] glory of God; ²⁴they are justified freely by his grace^(CO) through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.^(CP) ²⁵God presented him as the mercy seat^[am]^(CQ) by his blood,^(CR) through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God^(CS) passed over the sins previously committed.^(CT) ²⁶God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

²⁷Where, then, is boasting?^(CU) It is excluded. By what kind of law?^[an]^(CV) By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law^[ao] of faith. ²⁸For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.^(CW) ²⁹Or is God the God of Jews only?^(CX) Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, ³⁰since there is one God^(CY) who will justify the circumcised by faith^(CZ) and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not!^(DA) On the contrary, we uphold the law.^(DB)

Footnotes

1:19 Or what is known
1:26 Lit females, also in v. 27
1:26 Lit natural use, also in v. 27
1:27 Lit males, also later in v.
1:27 Or in themselves
1:29 Other mss add sexual immorality
1:31 Other mss add unforgiving
1:32 Lit things are worthy of death
1:32 Lit even take pleasure in
2:1 Lit Therefore, O man, every one
2:4 Or patience, because you do not recognize
2:6 Ps 62:12; Pr 24:12
2:12 Lit in
2:13 Or acquitted
2:14 Or who do not have the law, instinctively do
2:15 The code of conduct required by the law
2:15 Internal debate, either in a person or among the pagan moralists
2:17 Other mss read Look—
2:23 Or you dishonor God by breaking the law.
2:24 Is 52:5
2:29 Or heart—spiritually, not literally
3:4 Ps 51:4
3:5 Or shows, or demonstrates
3:5 Lit I speak as a man
3:9 Are we Jews any better than the Gentiles?
3:9 Under sin’s power or dominion
3:10–12 Ps 14:1–3; 53:1–3; Ec 7:20
3:13 Ps 5:9
3:13 Ps 140:3
3:14 Ps 10:7
3:15–17 Is 59:7–8
3:18 Ps 36:1
3:19 Lit those in the law
3:19 Or become guilty before God, or may be accountable to God
3:20 Or will be declared righteous, or will be acquitted
3:21 When capitalized, the Law and the Prophets = OT
3:22 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ
3:23 Or and lack the
3:25 Or propitiation, or place of atonement
3:27 Or what principle?
3:27 Or a principle

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