Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festush went up from Caesareai to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.j 3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.k 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being heldl at Caesarea,m and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the courtn and ordered that Paul be brought before him.o 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,p but they could not prove them.q

8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the templer or against Caesar.”

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,s said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”t

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,u as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”v

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

Festus Consults King Agrippa

13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesareaw to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.x 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against himy and asked that he be condemned.

16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.z 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.a 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of disputeb with him about their own religionc and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.d 21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”e

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”

He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”f

Paul Before Agrippa

26:12–18pp—Ac 9:3–8; 22:6–11

23 The next day Agrippa and Berniceg came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish communityh has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.i 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death,j but because he made his appeal to the Emperork I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”l

So Paul motioned with his handm and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before youn today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,o 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customsp and controversies.q Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,r from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long times and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sectt of our religion, living as a Pharisee.u 6 And now it is because of my hopev in what God has promised our ancestorsw that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribesx are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.y King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.z 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?a

9 “I too was convincedb that I ought to do all that was possible to opposec the name of Jesus of Nazareth.d 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s peoplee in prison,f and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.g 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,h and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voicei saying to me in Aramaic,a j ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.k I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.l 17 I will rescue youm from your own people and from the Gentiles.n I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyeso and turn them from darkness to light,p and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sinsq and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’r

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedients to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,t then to those in Jerusalemu and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,v I preached that they should repentw and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.x 21 That is why some Jews seized mey in the temple courts and tried to kill me.z 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happena—23 that the Messiah would sufferb and, as the first to rise from the dead,c would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”d

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,e Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learningf is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellentg Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,h and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”i

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”j

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernicek and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”l

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set freem if he had not appealed to Caesar.”n

Paul Sails for Rome

27 When it was decided that weo would sail for Italy,p Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.q 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia,r and we put out to sea. Aristarchus,s a Macedoniant from Thessalonica,u was with us.

3 The next day we landed at Sidon;v and Julius, in kindness to Paul,w allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.x 4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.y 5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Ciliciaz and Pamphylia,a we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian shipb sailing for Italyc and put us on board. 7 We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course,d we sailed to the lee of Crete,e opposite Salmone. 8 We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.a f So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.”g 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete,h facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force,i called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboatj secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run agroundk on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchorb and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard.l 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advicem not to sail from Crete;n then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage,o because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angelp of the God to whom I belong and whom I serveq stood beside mer 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar;s and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’t 25 So keep up your courage,u men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.v 26 Nevertheless, we must run agroundw on some island.”x

The Shipwreck

27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriaticc Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feetd deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feete deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboaty down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”z 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”a 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke itb and began to eat. 36 They were all encouragedc and ate some food themselves. 37 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38 When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.d

39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach,e where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40 Cutting loose the anchors,f they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41 But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf.g

42 The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43 But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s lifeh and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.i

Paul Ashore on Malta

28 Once safely on shore, wej found out that the islandk was called Malta. 2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand,l they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.”m 5 But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.n 6 The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.o

7 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer,p placed his hands on himq and healed him.r 9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10 They honored uss in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

Paul’s Arrival at Rome

11 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island—it was an Alexandrian shipt with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12 We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14 There we found some brothers and sistersu who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sistersv there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.w

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders.x When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers,y although I have done nothing against our peoplez or against the customs of our ancestors,a I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined meb and wanted to release me,c because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.d 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar.e I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israelf that I am bound with this chain.”g

21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our peopleh who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”i

23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God,j and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophetsk he tried to persuade them about Jesus.l 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.m 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he saidn through Isaiah the prophet:

26 “ ‘Go to this people and say,

“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;o

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’a p

28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvationq has been sent to the Gentiles,r and they will listen!” [29]b

30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of Gods and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldnesst and without hindrance!

Romans

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to a sophisticated audience, the church in Rome. This letter presents theology in a logical, organized way and focuses on salvation as a gift from God, through grace, by the blood of Christ Jesus. It is filled with practical messages for Christians everywhere.

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostlea and set apartb for the gospel of Godc—2 the gospel he promised beforehandd through his prophetse in the Holy Scripturesf 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly lifea g was a descendant of David,h 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in powerb i by his resurrection from the dead:j Jesus Christ our Lord.k 5 Through him we received gracel and apostleship to call all the Gentilesm to the obedience that comes fromc faithn for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.o

7 To all in Rome who are loved by Godp and called to be his holy people:q

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.r

Paul’s Longing to Visit Rome

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,s because your faith is being reported all over the world.t 9 God, whom I serveu in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witnessv how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times;w and I pray that now at last by God’s willx the way may be opened for me to come to you.y

11 I long to see youz so that I may impart to you some spiritual gifta to make you strong—12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware,b brothers and sisters,d c that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now)d in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.

14 I am obligatede both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.f

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel,g because it is the power of Godh that brings salvation to everyone who believes:i first to the Jew,j then to the Gentile.k 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealedl—a righteousness that is by faithm from first to last,e just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”f n

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

18 The wrath of Godo is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.p 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,q so that people are without excuse.r

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.s 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became foolst 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for imagesu made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 Therefore God gave them overv in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.w 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,x and worshiped and served created thingsy rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.z Amen.a

26 Because of this, God gave them overb to shameful lusts.c Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.d 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.e

28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them overf to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,g 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;h 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,i no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,j they not only continue to do these very things but also approvek of those who practice them.

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 You, therefore, have no excuse,l you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.m 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the richesn of his kindness,o forbearancep and patience,q not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?r

5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wraths, when his righteous judgmentt will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”a u 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honorv and immortality,w he will give eternal life.x 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil,y there will be wrath and anger.z 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil:a first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;b 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.c 11 For God does not show favoritism.d

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the lawe will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obeyf the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law,g they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secretsh through Jesus Christ,i as my gospelj declares.

The Jews and the Law

17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;k 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?l 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?m 23 You who boast in the law,n do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”b o

25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law,p but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.q 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,r will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?s 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn yout who, even though you have thec written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,u nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.v 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,w by the Spirit,x not by the written code.y Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.z

God’s Faithfulness

3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!a First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.b

3 What if some were unfaithful?c Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?d 4 Not at all! Let God be true,e and every human being a liar.f As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak

and prevail when you judge.”a g

5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,h what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)i 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?j 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,k why am I still condemned as a sinner?”l 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?m Their condemnation is just!

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?n Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.o 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

11 there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away,

they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.”b p

13 “Their throats are open graves;

their tongues practice deceit.”c q

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”d r

14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”e s

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16 ruin and misery mark their ways,

17 and the way of peace they do not know.”f t

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”g u

19 Now we know that whatever the law says,v it says to those who are under the law,w so that every mouth may be silencedx and the whole world held accountable to God.y 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;z rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.a

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of Godb has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.c 22 This righteousnessd is given through faithe inh Jesus Christf to all who believe.g There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,h 23 for all have sinnedi and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justifiedj freely by his gracek through the redemptionl that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,i m through the shedding of his bloodn—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunishedo—26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27 Where, then, is boasting?p It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.q 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,r 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.s 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we sayt that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh,u discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.v 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”a w

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a giftx 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.y 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 z

9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?a We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.b 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.c So then, he is the fatherd of all who believee 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 promisef that he would be heir of the world,g but through the righteousness that comes by faith.h 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,i 15 because the law brings wrath.j And where there is no law there is no transgression.k

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by gracel and may be guaranteedm 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.n 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”c o He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives lifep to the dead and callsq into being things that were not.r

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,s just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”d t 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as deadu—since he was about a hundred years oldv—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.w 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthenedx in his faith and gave glory to God,y 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.z 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”a 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us,b to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in himc who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.d 25 He was delivered over to death for our sinse and was raised to life for our justification.f

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justifiedg through faith,h wea have peacei with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,j 2 through whom we have gained accessk by faith into this grace in which we now stand.l And web boast in the hopem of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but wec also glory in our sufferings,n because we know that suffering produces perseverance;o 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hopep does not put us to shame, because God’s loveq has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,r who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time,s when we were still powerless,t Christ died for the ungodly.u 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.v

9 Since we have now been justifiedw by his blood,x how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrathy through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies,z we were reconcileda to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!b 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.c

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,d and death through sin,e and in this way death came to all people, because all sinnedf—

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.g 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,h who is a pattern of the one to come.i

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man,j how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,k 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, deathl 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 lifem through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,n so also one righteous act resulted in justificationo and lifep for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one manq the many were made sinners,r so also through the obediences of the one man the many will be made righteous.

20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase.t But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,u 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,v so also gracew might reign through righteousness to bring eternal lifex through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

6 What shall we say, then?y Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?z 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin;a how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptizedb into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into deathc in order that, just as Christ was raised from the deadd through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.e

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.f 6 For we know that our old selfg was crucified with himh so that the body ruled by sini might be done away with,a that we should no longer be slaves to sinj—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.k

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.l 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead,m he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.n 10 The death he died, he died to sino once for all;p but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sinq but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reignr 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,s 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.t 14 For sin shall no longer be your master,u because you are not under the law,v but under grace.w

Slaves to Righteousness

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?x 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 obeyy—whether you are slaves to sin,z which leads to death,a or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to Godb that, though you used to be slaves to sin,c you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teachingd that has now claimed your allegiance. 18 You have been set free from sine and have become slaves to righteousness.f

19 I am using an example from everyday lifeg 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 righteousnessh leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin,i you were free from the control of righteousness.j 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!k 22 But now that you have been set free from sinl and have become slaves of God,m the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.n 23 For the wages of sin is death,o but the gift of God is eternal lifep inb Christ Jesus our Lord.

Released From the Law, Bound to Christ

7 Do you not know, brothers and sistersq—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.r 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress.s 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 lawt through the body of Christ,u that you might belong to another,v 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,a w the sinful passions aroused by the lawx were at work in us,y so that we bore fruit for death.z 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the lawa so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.b

The Law and Sin

7 What shall we say, then?c Is the law sinful? Certainly not!d Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.e For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”b f 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,g produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.h 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 lifei actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,j deceived me,k and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.l

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 goodm to bring about my death,n so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,o soldp as a slave to sin.q 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.r 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.s 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.t 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.c u 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.v 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.w

21 So I find this law at work:x Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner beingy I delight in God’s law;z 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging wara against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sinb at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?c 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!d

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law,e but in my sinful natured a slave to the law of sin.f