Beginning

Paul shows by the example of Abraham that faith justifies, and not the law or the works of the law.

4 What shall we say then that Abraham, our father as to the flesh, did find? ² If Abraham were justified by deeds, then he has wherein to glory, but not with God. ³ For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. ⁴ To him who works, the reward is not reckoned from favour, but as his due. ⁵ To him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ⁶ It is just as David describes the blessedfulness of the person to whom God ascribes righteousness apart from deeds: ⁷ Blessed are those whose unrighteousnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; ⁸ blessed is that man to whom the Lord does not impute sin.

⁹ Did this blessedness come then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it reckoned? In the time of circumcision, or in the time before he was circumcised? Not in the time of circumcision, but when he was yet uncircumcised.

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that is by faith. This faith he had when still uncircumcised, to the intent that he should be the father of all who believe, though they are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be ascribed to them also; ¹² and to the intent that he should be the father of the circumcised, not only because they are circumcised, but because they walk also in the steps of that faith that was in our father Abraham before the time of circumcision.

¹³ For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not given to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are the heirs, then faith is but vain, and the promise of no effect. ¹⁵ Because the law causes wrath.

But where no law is, there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore it is by faith that the inheritance is given, so that it may come by favour, and so the promise may be sure to all the seed – not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: I have made you a father to many nations, even before God whom you have believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls those things which are not, as though they were.

¹⁸ This Abraham, contrary to hope, believed in hope that he would be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: Thus shall your seed be. ¹⁹ And he fainted not in the faith, nor yet considered his own body (which was now dead inasmuch as he was almost a hundred years old), nor yet that Sarah was past childbearing. ²⁰ He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was made strong in the faith and gave honour to God, ²¹ fully persuaded that what he had promised, that he was able to make good. ²² And therefore it was reckoned to him for righteousness.

²³ It is not written for him only that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom it will be credited as righteousness if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from death, ²⁵ who was delivered for our sins, and rose up again to justify us.

The power of faith, hope, and love. How death reigned from Adam to Christ, by whom only we have forgiveness of sins.

5 Because therefore we are justified by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² by whom we have a way in through faith, to this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory to come, which shall be given by God. ³ Not only that, but we also rejoice in tribulation. For we know that trouble brings patience, ⁴ patience brings experience, and experience brings hope. ⁵ And our hope makes not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.

⁶ For when we were yet weak, according to the time, Christ died for us who were ungodly. ⁷ Yet scarcely will anyone die for a righteous person; perhaps for a good person a man might dare to die. ⁸ But God sets out the love that he has for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then now, seeing we are justified in his blood, will we be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰ For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, seeing we are reconciled, will we be preserved by his life. ¹¹ Not only this, but we also joy in God by the means of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received reconciliation.

¹² And so it is just as sin entered into the world through one man, and death by means of sin; and in this way death went over all people, inasmuch as all people sinned. ¹³ For even to the time of the law, sin was in the world. But where no law is, there sin is not regarded. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those also who did not sin with such transgression as did Adam, who is the similitude of him who is to come.

¹⁵ But the gift is not like the sin. For if through the sin of one, many are dead, much more lavish upon many was the grace of God and gift by grace, which grace was given by one man: Jesus Christ.

¹⁶ And the gift is not over only one sin, as death came through one sin of one man who sinned. For the sentence of condemnation came from one sin. But the gift came to justify from many sins. ¹⁷ For if by the sin of one, death reigned by the means of one, much more will those who receive of abundant grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life by the means of one; that is to say, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Likewise then, just as by the sin of one, condemnation came on all men, so also by the justifying of one comes the righteousness that brings life upon all men. ¹⁹ For just as by one man’s disobedience many became sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

²⁰ But the law in the meantime entered in, that sin should increase. Nevertheless, where there was much sin, there was more abundance of grace, ²¹ so that as sin had reigned unto death, so also grace could reign through righteousness unto eternal life by the help of Jesus Christ.

Since we have been delivered from sin through Christ, we must fashion ourselves to live as the servants of God, not following our own desires. The different rewards of righteousness and sin.

6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, so that there may be an abundance of grace? ² God forbid. How can we, who are dead as regards sin, live any longer in it? ³ Do you not remember that all we who are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, are baptized to die with him? ⁴ We are buried with him by baptism in order to die, so that in the same way as Christ was raised up from death by the glory of the Father, we also may walk in a new life. ⁵ For if we are grafted in death like him, so also must we be in the resurrection. ⁶ We must remember that our old man is crucified with him also, so that the body of sin may utterly be destroyed, to the intent that henceforth we will not be servants of sin. ⁷ For he who is dead, is justified from sin.

⁸ And so if we are dead with Christ, we believe that we are to live with him – ⁹ remembering that Christ, once raised from death, dies no more. Death no longer has power over him. ¹⁰ For concerning that he died, he died as to sin once. And concerning that he lives, he lives unto God. ¹¹ Think of yourselves also in the same way: that you are dead concerning sin, but are alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. ¹² Therefore let not sin reign in your mortal bodies, so that you bow to it in its affections and lusts. ¹³ Neither give your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. But give yourselves unto God as people who are alive from death, and give your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ Let not sin have power over you. For you are not under the law, but under grace.

  ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. ¹⁶ Do you not consider that whomever you commit yourselves to, as servants to obey, his servants you are? – whomever you bow to, whether it be through sin to death, or through obedience to righteousness. ¹⁷ But God be thanked that, though you were once the servants of sin, you have conformed with heart to the model of instruction unto which you were delivered. ¹⁸ You are then made free from sin, and have become the servants of righteousness.

  ¹⁹ I will speak plainly, because of the infirmity of your flesh. Just as you once gave your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity, from iniquity to iniquity, so now give your members as servants to righteousness so that you may be sanctified. ²⁰ For when you were the servants of sin, you were not under righteousness. ²¹ What fruit had you then, in those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now you are delivered from sin, and made the servants of God, and have as your fruit to be sanctified, and the end everlasting life. ²³ For the reward of sin is death, but eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ has delivered us from the law and death. Paul shows what the flesh and natural man is, and calls it the law of the members.

7 Do you not consider, brethren (I speak to people who know the law), that the law has dominion over a person as long as it endures? ² For the woman who is under a husband is bound by the law to the man as long as he lives. But if the husband is dead, she is released from the law of the husband. ³ So then, if while the husband is alive she couples herself with another man, she will be counted a wedlock breaker. But if the husband is dead, she is free from the law, so that she is no wedlock breaker if she couples herself with another man.

⁴ In a similar way, my brethren, you are dead concerning the law by the body of Christ, in order to be coupled to another (I mean, to him who is risen again from death), so that we will bring forth fruit unto God. ⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the lusts of sin, which were stirred up by the law, reigned in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶ But now we are delivered from the law, and dead to that to which we were in bondage, in order to serve in a new life of the Spirit, and not in the old life of the letter.

⁷ What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. But I would not have known what sin meant, if not by the law. For I would not have known what coveting meant unless the law had said, You shall not covet. ⁸ But sin took occasion by the means of the commandment, and wrought in me all manner of inordinate desire. For without the law, sin was dead. ⁹ I once lived without law. But when the commandment came, sin revived, and I was dead. ¹⁰ And the very same commandment that was ordained for life, was found to be to me an occasion of death. ¹¹ For sin took occasion by the means of the commandment, and thus deceived me, and by the same commandment slew me. ¹² Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good.

¹³ Was then that which is good, made death to me? God forbid. No, sin was death to me, so that it could appear how sin, by the means of that which is good, had wrought death in me; so that sin which is under the commandment might be out of measure sinful. ¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am carnal, sold under sin, ¹⁵ inasmuch as I know not what I do. For what I would, I do not, but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If I would rather not do that which I do, I grant to the law that it is good. ¹⁷ So then now it is not I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is to say, in my flesh) dwells no good thing. To will is present with me, but I find no means to perform that which is good. ¹⁹ For I do not that good thing which I would, but I do the evil that I would not. ²⁰ Finally, if I do what I do not want, then it is not I who do it, but sin that dwells in me does it.

²¹ I find then by the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. ²² I delight in the law of God as far as the inner man is concerned, ²³ but I see another law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and subduing me to the law of sin that is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I myself in my mind serve the law of God, and in my flesh the law of sin.