Beginning
Chapter 8
The Flesh and the Spirit.[a] 1 Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death.(A) 3 For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,(B) 4 so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.(C) 5 For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. 6 The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.(D) 7 For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it;(E) 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.(F) 9 But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.(G) 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness.(H) 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. 12 Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.(I)
Children of God Through Adoption.[b] 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.(J) 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba,[c] Father!”(K) 16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,(L) 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.(M)
Destiny of Glory.[d] 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.(N) 19 For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; 20 for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it,(O) in hope 21 that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.(P) 22 We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now;(Q) 23 and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.(R) 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees?(S) 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.
26 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will.(T)
God’s Indomitable Love in Christ. 28 [e]We know that all things work for good for those who love God,[f] who are called according to his purpose.(U) 29 [g]For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.(V) 30 And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.(W)
31 [h]What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?(X) 32 He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?(Y) 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us.(Z) 34 Who will condemn? It is Christ [Jesus] who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.(AA) 35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 36 As it is written:(AB)
“For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.(AC) 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things,[i] nor future things, nor powers,(AD) 39 nor height, nor depth,[j] nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
V. Jews and Gentiles in God’s Plan[k]
Chapter 9
Paul’s Love for Israel.[l] 1 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness(AE) 2 that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.(AF) 4 They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;(AG) 5 theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all[m] be blessed forever. Amen.(AH)
God’s Free Choice. 6 But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel are Israel,(AI) 7 nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.”(AJ) 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.(AK) 9 For this is the wording of the promise, “About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son.”(AL) 10 And not only that,(AM) but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one husband, our father Isaac[n]— 11 before they had yet been born or had done anything, good or bad, in order that God’s elective plan might continue, 12 not by works but by his call—she was told, “The older shall serve the younger.”(AN) 13 As it is written:(AO)
“I loved Jacob
but hated Esau.”[o]
14 [p]What then are we to say? Is there injustice on the part of God? Of course not!(AP) 15 For he says to Moses:
“I will show mercy to whom I will,
I will take pity on whom I will.”(AQ)
16 So it depends not upon a person’s will or exertion, but upon God, who shows mercy.(AR) 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “This is why I have raised you up, to show my power through you that my name may be proclaimed throughout the earth.”(AS) 18 Consequently, he has mercy upon whom he wills,(AT) and he hardens whom he wills.[q]
19 [r]You will say to me then, “Why [then] does he still find fault? For who can oppose his will?”(AU) 20 But who indeed are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(AV) Will what is made say to its maker, “Why have you created me so?” 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble purpose and another for an ignoble one? 22 What if God, wishing to show his wrath and make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction?(AW) 23 This was to make known the riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared previously for glory, 24 namely, us whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.
Witness of the Prophets. 25 As indeed he says in Hosea:
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved[s] I will call ‘beloved.’(AX)
26 And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they shall be called children of the living God.”(AY)
27 (AZ)And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the Israelites were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved; 28 for decisively and quickly will the Lord execute sentence upon the earth.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted:
“Unless the Lord of hosts had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom
and have been made like Gomorrah.”(BA)
Righteousness Based on Faith.[t] 30 What then shall we say? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have achieved it, that is, righteousness that comes from faith;(BB) 31 but that Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, did not attain to that law?(BC) 32 Why not? Because they did it not by faith, but as if it could be done by works.(BD) They stumbled over the stone that causes stumbling,[u] 33 as it is written:
“Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion
that will make people stumble
and a rock that will make them fall,
and whoever believes in him shall not be put to shame.”(BE)
Chapter 10
1 [v]Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on their behalf is for salvation.(BF) 2 I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it is not discerning.(BG) 3 For, in their unawareness of the righteousness that comes from God and their attempt to establish their own [righteousness], they did not submit to the righteousness of God.(BH) 4 For Christ is the end[w] of the law for the justification of everyone who has faith.(BI)
5 [x]Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from [the] law, “The one who does these things will live by them.”(BJ) 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says,(BK) “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 [y]or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”(BL) 8 But what does it say?
“The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart”(BM)
(that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 for, if you confess[z] with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.(BN) 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”(BO) 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.(BP) 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”(BQ)
14 [aa]But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?(BR) 15 And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written,(BS) “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] good news!”[ab] 16 But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?”(BT) 17 Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.(BU) 18 But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for
“Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”(BV)
19 But I ask, did not Israel understand?(BW) First Moses says:
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a senseless nation I will make you angry.”
20 (BX)Then Isaiah speaks boldly and says:
“I was found [by] those who were not seeking me;
I revealed myself to those who were not asking for me.”
21 But regarding Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contentious people.”
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.