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Romans 4-7
Contemporary English Version
Romans 4-7
Contemporary English Version
The Example of Abraham
4 Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? 2 If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. 3 (A) The Scriptures say, “God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him.”
4 Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5 But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6 In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,
7-8 (B) “What a blessing
when God forgives our sins
and our evil deeds.
What a blessing
when the Lord erases our sins
from his book.”
9 Are these blessings meant for circumcised people or for those who are not circumcised? Well, the Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him. 10 But when did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.
11 (C) Abraham let himself be circumcised to show he had been accepted because of his faith even before he was circumcised. This makes Abraham the father of all who are acceptable to God because of their faith, even though they are not circumcised. 12 This also makes Abraham the father of everyone who is circumcised and has faith in God, as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
The Promise Is for All Who Have Faith
13 (D) God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world. This promise wasn't made because Abraham had obeyed a law, but because his faith in God made him acceptable. 14 (E) If Abraham and his descendants were given this promise because they had obeyed a law, then faith would mean nothing, and the promise would be worthless.
15 God becomes angry when his Law is broken. But where there isn't a law, it cannot be broken. 16 (F) Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his gift of undeserved grace. This promise isn't only for Abraham's descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham's descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. 17 (G) The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things.
18 (H) God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19 (I) Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20 But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God.
21 Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22 So God accepted him, 23 just as we read in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24 They were written for us, since we will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25 (J) God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.
What It Means To Be Acceptable to God
5 By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace[a] with God. 2 Christ has also introduced us[b] to God's gift of undeserved grace on which we now take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. 3 But that's not all! We gladly suffer,[c] because we know that suffering helps us to endure. 4 And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope 5 that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.
6 Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.
9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life's blood, we will also be kept safe from God's anger. 10 Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by the life of his Son. 11 And in addition to everything else, we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus Christ to make peace with us.
Adam and Christ
12 (K) Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die. 13 Sin was in the world before the Law came. But no record of sin was kept, because there was no Law. 14 Yet death still had power over all who lived from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. This happened, though not everyone disobeyed a direct command from God, as Adam did.
In some ways Adam is like Christ who came later. 15 But the gift of God's undeserved grace was very different from Adam's sin. That one sin brought death to many others. Yet in an even greater way, Jesus Christ alone brought God's gift of undeserved grace to many people.
16 There is a lot of difference between Adam's sin and God's gift. That one sin led to punishment. But God's gift made it possible for us to be acceptable to him, even though we have sinned many times. 17 Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has treated us with undeserved grace, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings.
18 (L) Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. 19 Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.
20 The Law came, so that the full power of sin could be seen. Yet where sin was powerful, God's gift of undeserved grace was even more powerful. 21 Sin ruled by means of death. But God's gift of grace now rules, and God has accepted us because of Jesus Christ our Lord. This means that we will have eternal life.
Dead to Sin but Alive because of Christ
6 What should we say? Should we keep on sinning, so that God's gift of undeserved grace will show up even better? 2 No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning? 3 Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? 4 (M) When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.
5 If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. 6 We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. 7 We know sin doesn't have power over dead people.
8 As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. 9 We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. 10 When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. 11 In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.
12 Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires 13 or let any part of it become a slave of evil. Give yourselves to God, as people who have been raised from death to life. Make every part of your body a slave that pleases God. 14 Don't let sin keep ruling your lives. You are ruled by God's undeserved grace and not by the Law.
Slaves Who Do What Pleases God
15 What does all this mean? Does it mean we are free to sin, because we are ruled by God's gift of undeserved grace and not by the Law? Certainly not! 16 Don't you know that you are slaves of anyone you obey? You can be slaves of sin and die, or you can be obedient slaves of God and be acceptable to him. 17 You used to be slaves of sin. But I thank God that with all your heart you followed the example set forth in the teaching you received. 18 Now you are set free from sin and are slaves who please God.
19 I am using these everyday examples, because in some ways you are still weak. You used to let the different parts of your body be slaves of your evil thoughts. But now you must make every part of your body serve God, so that you will belong completely to him.
20 When you were slaves of sin, you didn't have to please God. 21 But what good did you receive from the things you did? All you have to show for them is your shame, and they lead to death. 22 Now you have been set free from sin, and you are God's slaves. This will make you holy and will lead you to eternal life. 23 Sin pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.
An Example from Marriage
7 My friends, you surely understand enough about law to know that laws only have power over people who are alive. 2 For example, the Law says that a man's wife must remain his wife as long as he lives. But once her husband is dead, she is free 3 to marry someone else. However, if she goes off with another man while her husband is still alive, she is said to be unfaithful.
4 That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so we could serve God. 5 When we thought only of ourselves, the Law made us have sinful desires. It made every part of our bodies into slaves who are doomed to die. 6 But the Law no longer rules over us. We are like dead people, and it cannot have any power over us. Now we can serve God in a new way by obeying his Spirit, and not in the old way by obeying the written Law.
The Battle with Sin
7 (N) Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do this. 8 It was sin that used this command as a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.
9 Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life, 10 and I died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death. 11 (O) Sin used this command to trick me, and because of it I died. 12 Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and good.
13 Am I saying something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is. 14 We know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. 15 (P) In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. 16 Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
18 I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. 19 Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. 20 And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.
21 The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right. 22 With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. 23 But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do. 24 What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? 25 Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.
So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.
Romans 4-7
New International Version
Romans 4-7
New International Version
Abraham Justified by Faith
4 What then shall we say(A) that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,(B) discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.(C) 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[a](D)
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift(E) but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.(F) 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”[b](G)
9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?(H) We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.(I) 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.(J) So then, he is the father(K) of all who believe(L) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise(M) that he would be heir of the world,(N) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.(O) 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,(P) 15 because the law brings wrath.(Q) And where there is no law there is no transgression.(R)
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace(S) and may be guaranteed(T) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.(U) 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[c](V) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life(W) to the dead and calls(X) into being things that were not.(Y)
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,(Z) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”[d](AA) 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead(AB)—since he was about a hundred years old(AC)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.(AD) 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened(AE) in his faith and gave glory to God,(AF) 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.(AG) 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”(AH) 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us,(AI) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him(AJ) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.(AK) 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins(AL) and was raised to life for our justification.(AM)
Peace and Hope
5 Therefore, since we have been justified(AN) through faith,(AO) we[e] have peace(AP) with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,(AQ) 2 through whom we have gained access(AR) by faith into this grace in which we now stand.(AS) And we[f] boast in the hope(AT) of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[g] also glory in our sufferings,(AU) because we know that suffering produces perseverance;(AV) 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope(AW) does not put us to shame, because God’s love(AX) has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,(AY) who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time,(AZ) when we were still powerless,(BA) Christ died for the ungodly.(BB) 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.(BC)
9 Since we have now been justified(BD) by his blood,(BE) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath(BF) through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,(BG) we were reconciled(BH) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!(BI) 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.(BJ)
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,(BK) and death through sin,(BL) and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned(BM)—
13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.(BN) 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam,(BO) who is a pattern of the one to come.(BP)
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man,(BQ) how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,(BR) overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death(BS) reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life(BT) through the one man, Jesus Christ!
18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,(BU) so also one righteous act resulted in justification(BV) and life(BW) for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man(BX) the many were made sinners,(BY) so also through the obedience(BZ) of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.(CA) But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,(CB) 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,(CC) so also grace(CD) might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life(CE) through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
6 What shall we say, then?(CF) Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?(CG) 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin;(CH) how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized(CI) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death(CJ) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead(CK) through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.(CL)
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.(CM) 6 For we know that our old self(CN) was crucified with him(CO) so that the body ruled by sin(CP) might be done away with,[h] that we should no longer be slaves to sin(CQ)— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.(CR)
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.(CS) 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,(CT) he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.(CU) 10 The death he died, he died to sin(CV) once for all;(CW) but the life he lives, he lives to God.
11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin(CX) but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign(CY) in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness,(CZ) but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.(DA) 14 For sin shall no longer be your master,(DB) because you are not under the law,(DC) but under grace.(DD)
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?(DE) By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey(DF)—whether you are slaves to sin,(DG) which leads to death,(DH) or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God(DI) that, though you used to be slaves to sin,(DJ) you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching(DK) that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sin(DL) and have become slaves to righteousness.(DM)
19 I am using an example from everyday life(DN) because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness(DO) leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin,(DP) you were free from the control of righteousness.(DQ) 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!(DR) 22 But now that you have been set free from sin(DS) and have become slaves of God,(DT) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.(DU) 23 For the wages of sin is death,(DV) but the gift of God is eternal life(DW) in[i] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Released From the Law, Bound to Christ
7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters(DX)—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.(DY) 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.(DZ) But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law(EA) through the body of Christ,(EB) that you might belong to another,(EC) to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh,[j](ED) the sinful passions aroused by the law(EE) were at work in us,(EF) so that we bore fruit for death.(EG) 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law(EH) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.(EI)
The Law and Sin
7 What shall we say, then?(EJ) Is the law sinful? Certainly not!(EK) Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.(EL) For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”[k](EM) 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(EN) produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.(EO) 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life(EP) actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,(EQ) deceived me,(ER) and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.(ES)
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good(ET) to bring about my death,(EU) so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,(EV) sold(EW) as a slave to sin.(EX) 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.(EY) 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.(EZ) 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.(FA) 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[l](FB) For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.(FC) 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.(FD)
21 So I find this law at work:(FE) Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being(FF) I delight in God’s law;(FG) 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war(FH) against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin(FI) at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?(FJ) 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!(FK)
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,(FL) but in my sinful nature[m] a slave to the law of sin.(FM)
Footnotes
- Romans 4:3 Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22
- Romans 4:8 Psalm 32:1,2
- Romans 4:17 Gen. 17:5
- Romans 4:18 Gen. 15:5
- Romans 5:1 Many manuscripts let us
- Romans 5:2 Or let us
- Romans 5:3 Or let us
- Romans 6:6 Or be rendered powerless
- Romans 6:23 Or through
- Romans 7:5 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
- Romans 7:7 Exodus 20:17; Deut. 5:21
- Romans 7:18 Or my flesh
- Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
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