740 lines
148 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
740 lines
148 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
\id ROM - Translation 4 Translators 1
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\ide 65001 - Unicode (UTF-8)
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\h ROMANS
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\toc1 Romans
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\toc2 Romans
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\toc3 Rom
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\mt2 The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians at Rome. We call this letter
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\mt1 Romans
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\c 1
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\s1 Romans 1:1-7
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\s1 I, Paul, an apostle whom God appointed to proclaim the good message about Jesus Christ, am writing this letter to all you believers who are in Rome. I pray that God will continue to act kindly toward you and grant you peace.
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\p
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\v 1 \add I\add*, Paul, who serve Christ Jesus, \add am writing this letter\add*. God chose me to be an apostle, and I was appointed by him {he appointed me} in order that \add I should proclaim\add* ◄the good message/the gospel► that \add comes from him\add*.
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\v 2 Long before \add Jesus came to earth, God\add* promised \add that he would reveal\add* this good message by means of what his prophets \add wrote\add* in the sacred Scriptures.
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\v 3 This good message is \add about the one whom we know as\add* his Son. As to his Son's physical/human nature, he was born a descendant of \add King\add* David.
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\v 4 As to his divine nature, it was shown {\add God\add* showed} powerfully that he is ◄God's own Son/God who became human►. \add God\add* showed this by his Holy Spirit causing him to become alive again after he died. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.
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\v 5 He is the one who appointed me, who did not deserve it, \add to be\add* an apostle. He did that in order that \add many\add* among the non-Jews would honor \add him\add* and would obey him as a result of their believing \add my message about him\add*.
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\v 6 You \add believers\add* who are living in Rome \add city\add* are included among those whom God has chosen to belong to Jesus Christ.
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\v 7 \add I am writing this letter\add* to all of \add you\add* whom God loves and whom he has chosen \add to become his\add* people. \add I pray that\add* God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord will \add continue to\add* act kindly toward you and \add will continue to\add* cause you to have \add inner\add* peace.
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\s1 I thank God that people everywhere are talking about how you believers in Rome are trusting Jesus Christ. I pray that God will permit me to visit you soon. I want you to know that I have longed to visit you, but things have always prevented me. I am eager to proclaim the good message to you who are living at Rome also.
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\sr Romans 1:8-15
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\p
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\v 8 As I begin \add this letter\add*, I thank my God for all you \add believers in Rome\add*. It is because of \add what\add* Jesus Christ \add has done for us that\add* I \add am able to do that\add*. I thank him because your trusting \add in Jesus Christ\add* is something that people all over \add the Roman Empire\add* [HYP] are talking about.
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\v 9 God, whom I devotedly serve as I \add proclaim to people\add* the good message concerning his Son, knows that I tell the truth when I say that I always mention you whenever [DOU] I pray \add to God\add* [HYP].
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\v 10 I especially ask God that if he desires \add me to visit you\add*, somehow at last I shall be able to do so.
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\v 11 \add I pray this\add* because I long to visit you to help you spiritually in order that you will become stronger \add spiritually\add*.
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\v 12 I long to visit you in order that you and I might encourage each other \add by means of our sharing with each other\add* how each of us trusts \add in Jesus\add*.
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\v 13 My fellow believers, many times I planned to visit you. I certainly want you to know [LIT] that. \add But I have not been able to come to you because\add* I have been hindered {\add things\add* have always prevented me} until the present time. I have wanted to come in order that I might help you to mature spiritually [IDM], as \add I have helped people to mature spiritually\add* in many other non-Jewish groups [HYP].
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\v 14 I feel obliged \add to proclaim the good message to all non-Jewish people\add*, specifically to \add people who know\add* the Greek \add language and culture\add* and to those who do not know it, to people who are educated and to those who are uneducated.
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\v 15 As a result, what I have eagerly desired is that I might proclaim this good message to you who are living in Rome also.
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\s1 I very confidently proclaim the good message about what Christ has done, both to Jews and non-Jews, because by that message God reveals his way of declaring all people righteous.
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\sr Romans 1:16-17
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\p
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\v 16 \add That leads me to say that\add* I very confidently proclaim [LIT] the good message \add about what Christ has done\add*, because this good message is the powerful \add means\add* that God \add uses\add* to save \add from the guilt of their sins\add* all people who trust \add in what Christ has done for them\add*. Specifically, God first saves the Jews \add who believe the good message\add*, and then he saves non-Jews.
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\v 17 By means of this good message God reveals how he erases the record of people's sins (OR, declares people no longer guilty for having sinned); and his doing this is entirely because [IDM] they trust \add in Christ. This is confirmed\add* by what \add a prophet long ago\add* wrote \add that God said\add*, “Those ◄whose record of sin \add I\add* have erased/whom \add I\add* have declared no longer guilty for sin► because they trust \add in me\add* will live \add forever\add*.”
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\s1 God is making it clear to all Jewish people who are godless and wicked that he is angry with them.
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\sr Romans 1:18
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\p
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\v 18 From \add where God rules in\add* heaven he is making it clear to all \add non-Jewish\add* people who show no respect for God and who do wicked things, that he is angry with them \add and that they deserve to be punished\add* {\add that he would punish them\add*} [MTY]. By means of \add their behaving\add* wickedly, they keep other people \add from believing what they know\add* to be true \add about God\add*.
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\s1 Everyone can clearly know what God is like; so no one has a basis for saying, “We never knew about God.”
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\sr Romans 1:19-23
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\p
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\v 19 \add Everyone\add* can clearly know what God \add is like\add*, because God himself has revealed to everyone \add what he is like\add*.
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\v 20 \add People\add* cannot see what God is like. But ever since he created the world, by means of what he created he has clearly revealed what he is like. He has made clear to everyone that he has always been able to do very powerful deeds. \add Therefore, we should recognize that\add* he is God, \add completely different from all that he created\add*. So no one has a basis for saying, \add “We never knew about God\add*.”
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\v 21 Although \add the non-Jews\add* knew what God \add is like\add*, they did not honor him as God, nor did they thank \add him for what he had done\add*. But instead, they began to think foolish \add things about him\add*, and they became unable to understand [MET] \add what he wanted them to know\add*.
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\v 22 Although they claimed that they were wise, they became foolish,
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\v 23 and they refused to \add admit that\add* God is glorious and will never die. Instead, they made and worshipped idols \add that resembled people who\add* will some day die, and \add then they made other idols that resembled\add* birds and four-footed animals, and \add finally\add* they made idols that resembled reptiles.
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\s1 So God let the non-Jewish people feel compelled to do disgraceful things, which resulted in their dishonoring their bodies sexually. He did this because they worshipped idols and things that were created instead of worshipping God. As a result of both men and women having unnatural sexual relations, they have been punished as they deserve.
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\sr Romans 1:24-27
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\p
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\v 24 So God allowed \add the non-Jews\add* do immoral sexual things that they [SYN] strongly desired, things \add that their desires were compelling them to do\add*. As a result, they \add began to\add* dishonor each other's bodies \add by their sexual actions\add*.
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\v 25 Also, they \add chose to worship\add* false \add gods\add* instead ◄of admitting/of choosing to believe► what is true \add about\add* God. They worshipped and served things \add that God\add* created instead of \add worshipping and serving God\add*, the one who created \add everything. They did this even though\add* he \add deserves that those he created\add* would forever praise him. Amen!/May it be so!
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\p
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\v 26 So, God allowed \add the non-Jews to do\add* shameful \add sexual\add* things that they \add strongly\add* desired. As a result, many women did not have natural sexual relations \add with their husbands\add* [EUP]. Instead, they were doing sexual actions with other women [EUP].
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\v 27 Similarly, \add many\add* men stopped having/did not have natural sexual relations with women [EUP]. Instead, they strongly desired to have sexual relations with other men. They committed \add homosexual\add* acts with other men, acts that were shameful. As a result, \add God has\add* punished them \add by sicknesses\add* in their bodies, which is what they deserve \add because\add* they \add thought\add* wrongly \add that God would not punish them for doing that\add*.
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\s1 The result of God's letting people become obsessed by their own depraved thoughts was that they themselves began to do all manner of evil things that God says are improper. They even approve of others doing such things.
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\sr Romans 1:28-32
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\p
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\v 28 Furthermore, because they decided that it was not \add worthwhile\add* to know God, he allowed their own worthless thoughts \add to completely control them\add*. As a result, they began doing \add evil\add* things that \add God says that people\add* should not do.
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\v 29 They strongly desire to do all \add kinds of\add* unrighteous \add deeds\add*. They strongly desire to do all \add kinds of\add* evil things \add to others\add*. They strongly desire to possess things that \add belong to others\add*. They strongly desire to harm \add others\add* in various ways. \add Many non-Jews\add* are constantly envying \add other people. Many\add* constantly desire to murder \add people. Many\add* constantly desire to cause strife \add between people. Many\add* constantly desire to deceive \add others. Many\add* constantly desire to speak hatefully \add about others\add* (OR, \add to speak harmful things about others, things that are not true\add*). \add Many\add* gossip \add about others\add*.
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\v 30 \add Many\add* slander \add others. Many\add* act especially hatefully toward God. \add Many\add* speak or act in an insulting way \add toward others. Many\add* treat others contemptuously. \add Many\add* boast \add about themselves to others. Many\add* invent new ways to do evil deeds. \add Many non-Jewish children\add* disobey their parents.
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\v 31 \add Many non-Jews\add* act in other morally foolish ways. \add Many\add* do not do what they promised \add others that they would do. Many\add* do not \add even\add* love \add their own family members. And many\add* do not act mercifully \add toward other people\add*.
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\v 32 Although they know that God has declared that those who do such things deserve to be killed, they not only habitually do these \add kinds of evil\add* things, but they also approve of others who habitually do them.
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\c 2
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\s1 Any one of you Jews who condemns non-Jews for doing evil will be condemned by God, because you also do the same evil things.
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\sr Romans 2:1-5
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\p
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\v 1 \add God will severely punish non-Jewish people who habitually do evil deeds, because he has clearly revealed that he is angry with them\add*. So, \add when God judges people\add*, he will not excuse any one of you Jews \add to whom I am writing\add*. You \add (sg)\add* say that \add God should\add* punish \add non-Jews for doing evil deeds\add*. But when any one of you says that, it is yourself whom you are saying that God should punish, because you \add (sg)\add* do \add some of\add* the same \add evil\add* deeds \add that the non-Jews do\add*.
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\v 2 We know very well that God will judge and punish fairly \add non-Jewish\add* people who do such \add evil\add* deeds.
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\v 3 So, you who \add say God should punish\add* others for doing evil deeds yet you do evil deeds yourself, ◄you should certainly not think that you yourself will be able to escape from being punished by God!/do you think that you yourself will be able to escape from being punished by God?► [RHQ]
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\v 4 And you should not say, “God is acting very tolerantly and patiently toward me, \add so I do not need to turn away from my sin\add* [DOU].” ◄You should realize that God is acting in a kind manner \add toward you\add* in order to encourage you \add (sg)\add* to turn away from your sinful behavior!/Do you not realize that God is acting in a kind manner \add toward you\add* in order to encourage you \add (sg)\add* to turn away from your sinful behavior?► [RHQ]
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\v 5 But instead, by your stubbornly refusing to turn away from your sinful behavior [DOU], you are causing [MET] God to punish you even more severely. \add He will do that\add* at the time when he shows that he is angry and judges people fairly.
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\s1 Because God is not influenced by a person's status, he will recompense each person according to what that person has done.
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\sr Romans 2:6-11
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\p
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\v 6 God will recompense everyone according to \add what they deserve for\add* what they have done.
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\v 7 \add Specifically\add*, some people, by persevering in doing good deeds, strive to be highly honored \add by God\add* [DOU] and to receive a life that will not end. \add God will reward them by enabling them\add* to live forever.
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\v 8 But some people act in a selfish way and refuse to believe that \add what God says is\add* true, and they do the things that \add God says\add* are wrong. \add God will\add* punish them very severely [DOU, MTY].
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\v 9 He will cause everyone who habitually does evil deeds to suffer greatly, \add with the result that they will become severely\add* distressed [DOU]. This certainly will happen to the Jews \add who refuse to accept God's message, because God gave them the privilege to be his special people\add*, but it will also happen to the non-Jews.
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\v 10 But \add God will\add* greatly reward spiritually [MET, DOU] every person who habitually does good deeds. He will \add certainly\add* do this for the Jews \add because God chose them as his special people\add*, but he will also do it for the non-Jews.
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\v 11 God \add will do this fairly\add*, because people's status does not influence him.
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\s1 All non-Jews will be eternally separated from God for their sin and all Jews will be condemned for their sin, since it is only those who have continually obeyed his laws whom God will justify.
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\sr Romans 2:12-16
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\p
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\v 12 Although \add non-Jews do not have\add* the laws that \add God gave to Moses\add*, all \add non-Jews\add* who sin will be eternally separated from God. He will \add not consider whether or not they knew\add* the laws that he \add gave to Moses\add*. And all the \add Jews\add* who have sinned in spite of knowing the laws that \add God gave to Moses will also be punished\add* {\add God will also punish them\add*}. \add They will be punished for disobeying\add* God's laws.
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\v 13 \add It is right for them to be punished\add* {\add God to punish them\add*} \add because\add* it is not those who \add merely\add* know God's laws whom he considers to be righteous. On the contrary, it is only those who continually have obeyed \add all\add* ◄of \add God's\add* laws/of the laws that \add God gave to Moses\add*► ◄whom God will consider righteous/whose record of sins God will erase►.
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\v 14 Whenever the non-Jews, who do not have the laws \add God gave to Moses\add*, naturally obey those laws, \add they prove that\add* they have a law within their own minds, even though they do not have the laws \add God gave to Moses\add*.
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\v 15 They show that they know in their own minds what God \add commands in his\add* laws [MET], as each person in his very own conscience either accuses or excuses/defends \add his behavior\add*.
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\v 16 God \add will punish them\add* at the time when he will judge people according to what they have thought and done. He will judge them \add even\add* for the things that they have done secretly. He will judge people by \add authorizing\add* Christ Jesus \add to judge them\add*. This is \add what I tell people when\add* I preach the good message to them.
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\s1 It is disgusting that any one of you who has all the advantages of being a Jew would disobey God's law and, by doing so, insult God.
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\sr Romans 2:17-24
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\p
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\v 17 \add Now I have something to say to any one of\add* you \add Jews to whom I am writing\add*: You \add (sg)\add* boast about yourself saying, “I am a Jew.” You \add (sg)\add* trust \add that God will save you because you possess\add* the laws \add that he gave to Moses\add*. You boast that \add you belong to\add* God.
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\v 18 You know what God desires. Because you have been taught {\add people\add* have taught you} \add God's\add* laws, you are able to know which things are right and to choose to do them.
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\v 19 You are certain that you \add are able to\add* show \add God's truth to non-Jews\add*, as guides \add show the road\add* to those who are blind [MET]. You are certain that by what you say you can show God's way to the \add non-Jews who do not understand it\add*, as a light shows the way to \add those who walk in\add* the darkness [MET, DOU].
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\v 20 \add You are certain that you\add* can instruct/correct \add non-Jews, whom you consider\add* foolish \add because of their not understanding God's message\add*. Because you have in \add God's\add* laws a \add written\add* expression of true knowledge [HEN], you are certain that you can teach \add people who, being like\add* children, do not know \add God's truth\add* [MET].
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\v 21 \add Since you claim that you have all these advantages because you are a Jew\add*, ◄it is disgusting that you who teach other people \add that they should obey the laws God gave Moses\add* do not \add obey the laws that you\add* yourself teach!/why is it that you who teach other people \add that they should obey the laws God gave Moses\add* do not \add obey the laws that you\add* yourself teach?► [RHQ] You who preach that people should not steal things, ◄it is disgusting that you yourself steal things!/why do you yourself steal things?► [RHQ]
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\v 22 You who command people not to have sexual relations with someone to whom they are not married, ◄it is disgusting that it you commit adultery yourself!/why do you commit adultery yourself?► [RHQ] You who detest idols, ◄it is disgusting that you rob temples \add where people worship idols\add*!/why do you rob temples \add where people worship idols\add*?► [RHQ]
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\v 23 You who boast saying, “\add I have God's\add* laws,” ◄it is disgusting that you disobey those same laws!/why do you disobey those same laws?► [RHQ] As a result you are insulting God!
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\v 24 \add You must not be like our ancestors, about whom\add* were written \add these words in the Scriptures:\add* “The non-Jews speak evil about God because of \add the evil actions of\add* many of you \add Jews\add*.” They non-Jews say God must be a hypocrite if he condones the behavior of people like you.
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\s1 God will consider non-Jews acceptable to him if they obey his laws, and such non-Jews will declare God is right in condemning those who disobey his laws, because it is only those who are changed inwardly who are true Jews and acceptable to God.
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\sr Romans 2:25-29
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\p
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\v 25 Any one of you who \add is\add* circumcised \add to show that he belong to God\add* can benefit from that if he obeys the laws \add God gave to Moses\add*. But if you \add (sg), a circumcised person\add*, disobey \add God's\add* laws, \add God will consider that\add* you who are circumcised are no better \add in God's sight\add* than \add someone who is\add* not circumcised.
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\v 26 ◄This means that God will certainly consider that even \add non-Jews who are\add* not circumcised can become his people if they obey the things that he commanded in his laws./So will not God consider that even \add non-Jews who are\add* not circumcised can ◄become his people/become acceptable to him► if they obey the things that he commanded in his laws?► [RHQ]
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\v 27 \add If any one of\add* you disobeys God's laws, even though \add you(sg) have\add* the Scriptures and even though someone has circumcised you {you are circumcised} \add God will punish you\add*. And those people who are not circumcised, but who obey God's laws, \add will declare that God is right\add* when he says that he will punish you.
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\v 28 It is not those who perform rituals \add to show they are God's people\add* who are \add true\add* Jews, and it is not being circumcised in their bodies \add that causes God to accept them\add* [MTY].
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\v 29 On the contrary, we whom \add God has changed\add* inwardly are \add true\add* Jews [MTY]. And \add God has accepted us because we have allowed God's\add* Spirit to change our hearts, not because we perform rituals. Even if \add other\add* people will not praise us, God will praise us.
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\c 3
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\s1 My reply to the objection that there is no advantage in being a Jew or being circumcised is that there is much advantage, especially since God entrusted his promises to us. My reply to the objection that God has not kept his promise is that he certainly has, for his promises are always true. My reply to the objection that it is not right for God to punish us Jews is that it certainly is right for him to punish us, because if God did not judge us Jews he could not judge anyone.
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\sr Romans 3:1-8
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\p
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\v 1 \add Someone may object to this, saying\add*, “\add If being circumcised does not cause God to accept us Jews\add*, ◄there is no advantage in being a Jew \add over being a non-Jew\add*./is there any advantage in being a Jew \add over being a non-Jew\add*?► [RHQ] Being circumcised does not benefit \add us Jews at all\add*!”
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\v 2 \add I would reply that being Jews\add* benefits \add us\add* in many ways [HYP]. First of all, it benefits us because it was to \add our ancestors\add* that God's words, \add words that contain his promises\add*, were given {that \add God\add* gave his words, \add words that contain his promises\add*}.
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\v 3 Many \add Jews did not obey God as they promised that they would. So someone might ask\add*, “Does their not being faithful mean that God will not \add bless us Jews\add* as he promised \add that he would\add*?”
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\v 4 \add I would reply\add*, “No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does \add what he has promised\add*, even though \add people do not\add*. All those who accuse God \add of not keeping his promises to us Jews\add* are very mistaken.” \add What King David wrote about God's justly saying that he would punish him for his sins is also true of those who accuse God of not keeping his promises. What he said to God was\add*, “So everyone must acknowledge that what you \add (sg)\add* have said \add about them\add* (OR, \add their sin\add*) is true, and you will always win the case when you are accused {when \add people\add* accuse you}.”
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\p
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\v 5 So if we \add Jews'\add* being wicked [PRS] shows that it is right that God \add does not bless us\add*, what shall we say/conclude? Shall we conclude that it is not right for God to be angry \add and punish us Jews\add* [MTY]? I \add should not be saying these things\add*, \add but\add* I am speaking as ordinary humans \add speak\add*.
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\v 6 We should certainly not \add conclude that God should not judge us\add*, because if God \add did not judge us Jews\add*, ◄it would not possibly be right for him to judge \add anyone in\add* the world [MTY]!/how could he judge \add anyone in\add* the world?► [MTY, RHQ]
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\v 7 But \add someone might object and say to me\add*, “The fact that God truly \add keeps his promises\add* becomes very clear/evident because of my not doing \add what God has commanded\add*. But the result is that people praise God! So ◄God should no longer say that I should be punished {that \add he\add* should punish me} on account of my having sinned!/why should God still say that I should be punished {that \add he\add* should punish me} on account of my having sinned?► [RHQ]
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\v 8 \add If what you, Paul, say is true\add*, then ◄we might as well/it is all right for us to► do evil things in order that good things \add like that\add* will result! For example, \add then people will praise God!\add*” Some people speak evil about me by their \add falsely\add* saying that I say \add such things. God\add* will fairly/justly punish \add people who say such things about me!\add*
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\s1 My reply to a query about whether God will treat Jews more favorably than non-Jews is no, because the Scriptures make clear that all people are condemned by God for their sin.
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\sr Romans 3:9-18
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\p
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\v 9 \add If someone would ask\add*, “\add Shall we conclude that God\add* will treat us \add Jews\add* more favorably \add and will treat\add* the non-Jews less \add favorably\add* [RHQ]?” \add I would reply that we can\add* certainly not \add conclude that!\add* I have already shown you that all people, the Jews and also the non-Jews, have sinned and \add so they deserve to be punished\add* {\add that God will punish them\add*} [PRS].
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\v 10 \add The following words\add* that are written {prophets have written} \add in the Scriptures support this\add*,
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\p No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!
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\v 11 There is no one who understands \add how to live properly\add* (OR, \add about God\add*). There is no one who seeks/desires \add to know\add* God!
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\p
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\v 12 Absolutely everyone has turned away [MET] \add from God\add*. God considers them depraved (OR, Everyone has become useless \add to God\add*). There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!
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\q
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\v 13 What people say [MTY] \add is foul/bad, like the smell that comes from\add* a grave that has been {that \add people\add* have} opened [MET]. \add By what people say\add* [MTY], they deceive people.
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\q \add By what they say\add* [MTY] \add they injure people, just like\add* the poison of snakes \add injures people\add* [MET].
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\q
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\v 14 They are continually ◄cursing/asking God to do harmful things to► others and saying ◄cruel/harsh/hateful► things [MTY].
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\q
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\v 15 They ◄go quickly/are eager► to murder people [MTY].
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\q
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\v 16 Wherever they go they ruin everything and make \add people\add* miserable [MTY].
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 They have not/never known how \add to live\add* peacefully \add with other people\add*.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 They absolutely refuse to fear/reverence God [SYN]!
|
||
\s1 In summary, no one is able to object to God's condemnation; everyone has been declared guilty by God.
|
||
\sr Romans 3:19-20
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 19 Furthermore, we know that it is to \add Jewish\add* people, \add who are\add* required to obey \add God's\add* laws, that Moses wrote those laws [PRS]. \add We can infer from this that\add* there are no \add Jews or non-Jews\add* [SYN] who are able to say anything \add in reply to God's saying that he will punish them for having sinned\add*. God has declared everyone in the world [MTY] guilty!
|
||
\v 20 It is not because people have done the things that God's laws \add require\add* that \add God\add* will ◄erase the record of their sins/declare them no longer guilty for sin►, \add because no one has done those things completely\add*. In fact, the result of \add our knowing God's\add* laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned (OR, are sinful).
|
||
\s1 Now God erases the record of sins of everyone, Jew and non-Jew, who trusts in what Jesus Christ has done for them. God presented Christ as the one who would atone for sins by dying on the cross.
|
||
\sr Romans 3:21-26
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 21 But God's ◄erasing the record of our sins/declaring us no longer guilty► does not depend on \add our obeying\add* the laws \add that he gave Moses\add*. It has now been {\add God\add* has now} revealed \add to us\add* how he erases the record of our sins \add by a different way\add*. It was written about \add by Moses\add* {\add Moses\add* wrote about it} in the laws [PRS] \add God gave\add* him, and it was also written about by the prophets {the prophets also wrote about it}.
|
||
\v 22 God erases the record of our sins because we trust in \add what\add* Jesus Christ \add has done for us\add*. God does this for every person who trusts \add in Christ\add*, because \add he considers\add* that there is no difference \add between Jews and non-Jews\add*.
|
||
\v 23 All people have done evil, and all people have failed to accomplish the glorious \add goals\add* that God \add set for them\add*.
|
||
\v 24 Our record of sins has been erased {God erased the record of our sins} by his acting kindly \add to forgive our sins\add*, without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this \add by dying for us\add*.
|
||
\v 25 God showed that Christ was the one who would atone for (OR, forgive) our sins \add with the\add* blood \add that flowed from his body when he died. God redeems/forgives\add* us because of our trusting \add in Christ's having died for us. God wanted\add* to show that he acts justly. \add He wanted to do that\add* because, before \add Christ came, God\add* did not punish \add everyone who sinned. So it seemed as though he was not being just\add*. But he was overlooking their sins during \add that time\add*,
|
||
\v 26 because he is patient. \add God arranged for Christ to die for us\add*. By doing that, he now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts/believes in Jesus.
|
||
\s1 So we are prevented from boasting that it was because of our obeying the Mosaic laws. And God will also accept non-Jews on the same basis. And by agreeing that people are declared righteous by their trusting in Christ, we actually confirm, not nullify, the Mosaic laws.
|
||
\sr Romans 3:27-31
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 27 It is not at all [RHQ] because of \add our obeying the\add* laws \add of Moses that God erases the record of our sins\add*. So, ◄there is no way that we can boast \add that God does that because of our obeying those laws\add*./how can we boast \add about God erasing the record of our sins because of our obeying those laws\add*?► [RHQ] Instead, \add it is because of our\add* believing/trusting \add in Christ that God erases the record of our sins\add*.
|
||
\v 28 \add We cannot boast about that\add*, because we conclude that the record of our sins is erased {God erases the record of our sins} because of our trusting \add in Christ\add*. God does not erase the record of our sins because of our obeying the laws \add that he gave to Moses, because it is impossible for us to completely obey them\add*.
|
||
\v 29 ◄You who are Jews certainly should not \add think that is you\add* are the only ones whom God \add will accept\add*!/Do you Jews \add think it is you\add* alone whom God \add will accept\add*?► [RHQ] ◄You certainly should \add realize that he will accept\add* non-Jews, too./Do you not \add realize that he will accept\add* non-Jews, too?► [RHQ] Of course, \add he will accept\add* non-Jews also,
|
||
\v 30 because, \add as you firmly believe\add*, there is only one God, who will erase the record of Jews' [MTY] sins if they trust \add in what Christ has done\add*, and who will similarly erase the record of non-Jews' [MTY] sins if they trust \add in Christ\add*.
|
||
\v 31 So, \add if someone should ask concerning the laws that God gave Moses\add*, “By saying \add that God erases the record of our sins because of our\add* trusting \add in Christ\add*, does that mean that those laws now are useless?”, \add I would reply\add*, “Certainly not. Instead, we truly fulfill the laws \add that God gave Moses\add*.”
|
||
\c 4
|
||
\s1 We can draw conclusions from Abraham's life about how God erases the record of our sins. Abraham could not boast about his accomplishing that because the Scriptures record that it was because he believed what God promised that God erased the record of his sins. God's doing that was a gift, not a reward.
|
||
\sr Romans 4:1-8
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Abraham is the \add revered\add* ancestor of us \add Jews\add*. So ◄think about what we can conclude \add from what happened to Abraham about how God can erase the record of our sins\add*./what can we conclude \add from what happened to Abraham about how God can erase the record of our sins\add*?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 2 If it was because of Abraham's doing \add good\add* things that the record of his sins was erased {that \add God\add* erased the record of his sins}, Abraham could then have been able to boast \add about that to people\add*, but he would not have \add had any basis to\add* boast to God \add about it\add*.
|
||
\v 3 \add Remember that\add* in the Scriptures it is written {someone wrote} [PRS] that Abraham believed what God \add promised\add* [RHQ], and as a result the record of his sins was erased {\add God\add* erased the record of his sins}.
|
||
\v 4 If we receive wages for work that we do, those wages are not considered to be a gift. Instead, they \add are considered\add* to be what we have earned. \add Similarly, if God erases the record of our sins because we did things to earn God's favor\add*, we would not consider that \add God's erasing the record of our sin\add* was \add a gift. Instead, we would consider it as what we had earned\add*.
|
||
\v 5 But suppose that we do not do things \add to gain God's acceptance\add*. Suppose that we instead trust \add in God\add*, who erases the record of sins of wicked people. Then the erasing of the record of our sins because of our trusting \add in Christ\add* is considered to be a gift to us, \add not something that we earned\add*.
|
||
\v 6 Similarly, it is as David wrote \add in the Psalms\add* about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things \add to earn it. David wrote\add*:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 \add God\add* is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins \add he\add* has} forgiven, and whose sins he \add has decided\add* to forget [DOU].
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 \add God\add* causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
|
||
\s1 This happiness of knowing that God has erased the record of our sins is also for the non-Jews. Remember that it was before Abraham was circumcised, when he was still in effect a non-Jew, that God did that. He later received circumcision simply as a sign of God having erased the record of his sins because of his faith. The result was that he became a spiritual father of all who believe in God as he did, whether they are circumcised or not.
|
||
\sr Romans 4:9-12
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 9 As for our being happy \add because God has erased the record of our sins\add*, ◄it is not something that \add only\add* we Jews \add can experience\add*./is it [MTY] something that \add only\add* we Jews \add can experience\add*?► [RHQ] \add No, it is\add* also something that non-Jews \add can experience\add* [MTY]. \add What is written in the Scriptures\add*, that it was because Abraham trusted \add in God\add* that the record of his sins was erased {\add God\add* erased the record of his sins}, \add also shows that this is true\add*.
|
||
\v 10 ◄\add Think about\add* when \add God erased the record of Abraham's sins\add*./When did \add God erase the record of Abraham's sins\add*?► [RHQ] ◄Consider whether \add it happened\add* after someone circumcised \add Abraham to mark him as one who belonged to God\add*, or before someone circumcised him./\add Did it happen\add* after \add Abraham was\add* circumcised \add to be marked as one who belonged to God\add*, or before he was circumcised?► [RHQ] It happened before he was circumcised, not after he was circumcised.
|
||
\v 11 \add Many years later, God commanded that\add* Abraham \add be\add* circumcised. Abraham's accepting that ritual simply showed \add that he knew that God had accepted him\add*. \add He knew that God\add* had \add erased the record of his sins\add* because he trusted \add in God\add* while he was still, \add in effect, a non-Jew because\add* he had not been circumcised. \add So we can understand that\add* Abraham became ◄a spiritual ancestor/like an ancestor► to \add all\add* of us whose record of sins has been erased {whose sins \add God\add* has erased the record of} because we believe \add in God's promise, even though some of us\add* are not circumcised.
|
||
\v 12 Likewise, Abraham is the \add spiritual\add* ancestor of all us Jews who are not merely circumcised but who, more importantly, \add believe in God's promise\add* as our ancestor Abraham did, even before he was circumcised.
|
||
\s1 It was because Abraham trusted in God that God erased the record of his sins and promised him many blessings. So what God promised is guaranteed to all, both Jews and non-Jews, who trust in God as Abraham did.
|
||
\sr Romans 4:13-17a
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 13 God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would receive \add the blessings that he promised to give to the people in\add* the world. But when he promised that, it was not because Abraham \add obeyed\add* the laws \add that God later gave to Moses\add*. Instead, it was because Abraham believed \add that God would do what he promised that he would do\add*. As a result, God erased the record of his sins.
|
||
\v 14-15 If \add we think that\add* it is those who \add obey God's\add* laws who will receive \add what he has promised\add*, it is useless \add for us to think that he will erase the record of our sins just because we\add* trust in him. And it is pointless \add for us to think that he will give us what he\add* promised \add just because\add* we trust in him. \add Remember that\add* it is \add stated\add* in God's law [PRS] \add that\add* he will punish \add people who do not perfectly obey them\add*, and remember that wherever [MTY] laws exist, \add people\add* disobey them [LIT].
|
||
\v 16 So it is because \add we\add* trust \add in God that we will receive the things that he has promised\add*. \add It is not because we perfectly obey God's laws. He wants\add* ◄to \add erase the record of our sins/to declare us no longer guilty\add*► without our earning it. As a result, what God now promises, he guarantees to give to all people who are \add Abraham's spiritual\add* descendants. \add He promises to do that not only for us Jewish believers\add*, who \add have\add* God's laws \add and trust in him as Abraham did\add*, but also for those \add non-Jews who do not have God's laws but\add* who trust \add in him\add* as Abraham did. Abraham is the \add spiritual\add* ancestor of all of us \add believers\add*.
|
||
\v 17 What is written {What \add Moses\add* wrote} \add in the Scriptures about what God promised Abraham shows that this is true\add*. \add God said to him\add*, “It is in order that you \add (sg)\add* may be the ancestor of many ethnic groups that I have appointed you.”
|
||
\s1 It was because Abraham confidently believed God's promise to give him many descendants, when there was no physical basis for his hoping that this would happen, that God erased the record of his sins.
|
||
\sr Romans 4:17b-22
|
||
\p God \add guaranteed that he would give Abraham many descendants\add*. Abraham confidently believed that God \add would do that\add*,
|
||
\v 18 even though there was no physical reason for him to hope \add that he would have descendants, because he and his wife were too old to bear children\add*. But God is the one who causes dead people to live again, and who talks about things that do not yet exist as already existing. \add God said to Abraham\add*, “You will have so many descendants that they will be \add as impossible to count as the stars\add*.” And Abraham believed that, and he believed that he would become the ancestor of many ethnic groups.
|
||
\v 19 He did not doubt \add that God would do what he promised\add*, even though he knew that his body was already \add as incapable of begetting children as if he were\add* dead [MET] because he was about a hundred years old. And \add even though he realized that\add* Sarah had never been able to become pregnant [IDM],
|
||
\v 20 he did not doubt at all that God \add would do what he had\add* promised. Instead, he trusted \add in God\add* more/very strongly, and he thanked God \add for what God was going to do\add*.
|
||
\v 21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
|
||
\v 22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {\add God\add* erased the record of his sins}.
|
||
\s1 The words about God erasing the record of Abraham's sins were written also to assure us who believe in God.
|
||
\sr Romans 4:23-25
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 23 The words \add in the Scriptures\add*, “The record of his sins was erased {\add God\add* erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
|
||
\v 24 They were also written {\add They\add* also wrote that} for us whose record of sins would be erased {\add God\add* would erase}. They were written {\add They\add* wrote it} for us who believe \add God\add*, the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he died.
|
||
\v 25 Jesus allowed \add men\add* to execute [MTY] him so that \add God could forgive\add* our evil deeds. And \add God\add* caused Jesus to live again because \add God wanted to show that because of the death of Jesus he was able to\add* erase the record of our sins.
|
||
\c 5
|
||
\s1 Because God has erased the record of our sins, we have peace with him, we experience his acting kindly toward us, we rejoice because we expect to receive God's glory, and we even rejoice in suffering because we know the results that it brings.
|
||
\sr Romans 5:1-5
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Because we trusted \add in Christ\add*, the record of our sins has been erased {\add God\add* has erased the record of our sins}. So we \add now\add* have a peaceful relationship with God because of our trust in what our Lord Jesus Christ \add has done for us\add*.
|
||
\v 2 Because of \add what\add* Christ \add has done\add*, God has also enabled us to begin experiencing his continually acting toward us in ways that we do not deserve. Also, we rejoice because we are confidently expecting that God \add will gladly show\add* us how great he is.
|
||
\v 3 We rejoice even when we suffer \add as a result of our trusting in Christ\add*, because we know that when we are suffering, the result is that we learn to endure things \add patiently\add*.
|
||
\v 4 And \add we know\add* that when we endure things \add patiently\add*, the result is that \add God\add* approves \add of us\add*. And when we \add know that God\add* approves \add of us\add*, the result is that we confidently expect \add that he will do great things for us\add*.
|
||
\v 5 And we are very confident [PRS] concerning the things that we wait expectantly \add for\add*, because God loves us very much. His Holy Spirit, who has been {whom \add he\add* has} given to us, \add causes\add* us to understand how much God loves us.
|
||
\s1 Because Christ died for us ungodly people, he will certainly save us from God's eternal punishment, and so we boast of what he has done for us.
|
||
\sr Romans 5:6-11
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 6 When we were unable \add to save ourselves\add*, it was Christ who, at the time \add that God chose\add*, died on behalf of \add us\add* ungodly \add people\add*.
|
||
\v 7 Rarely would anyone die on behalf of another person, \add even if\add* that person were righteous, although for a good person perhaps someone might be courageous enough to die on behalf of such a person.
|
||
\v 8 Nevertheless, as for God, the way he showed us that he loves us is that Christ died on our behalf while we were still rebelling against God.
|
||
\v 9 The record of our sins has been erased {\add God\add* has erased the record of our sins} because of \add what Christ accomplished when\add* his blood [MTY] \add flowed when he died\add*. So it is even more certain that we will be saved by Christ {that Christ will save us} from God's punishing us \add eternally\add* [MTY].
|
||
\v 10 Even when we were acting hostilely towards God, he enabled us to have a peaceful relationship with him as a result of his Son dying \add for us\add*. So it is even more certain that we will be saved {Christ will be able to save us} \add from God's punishing us\add* [MTY] because he is alive \add again\add* and because \add God\add* has enabled us to have a peaceful relationship \add with himself\add*.
|
||
\v 11 And that's not all! Now we also rejoice about \add the things that\add* God \add has done for us\add* because of our Lord Jesus Christ \add dying for us\add* and enabling us to have a peaceful relationship with God.
|
||
\s1 Although the sin of one man, Adam, led to all people dying and God declaring that they deserved to be punished, Christ's righteous act of obedience when he died led to many people experiencing God's kindness and being declared righteous and living eternally, and it will also result in their ruling with Christ.
|
||
\sr Romans 5:12-21
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 12 \add What you can learn from what I have written so far is as follows\add*: All people are sinful [PRS], and that is the result of \add Adam, the first\add* man whom \add God created, sinning long ago\add*. Adam died [PRS] because he sinned. So, all people \add who have lived since then\add* die, because \add it is as though\add* all people sinned \add when Adam sinned\add*.
|
||
\v 13 \add People in\add* [MTY] the world sinned before \add God gave his\add* laws \add to Moses\add*. But people are not considered \add by God\add* {\add God\add* does not consider people} to be guilty for their sins if there is no law \add stating that what they did was sinful\add*.
|
||
\v 14 But \add we know\add* that from \add the time when\add* Adam \add lived\add* until \add the time when\add* Moses \add lived\add*, all people sinned, and they died \add as a consequence\add* [PRS, MET]. Even people who sinned differently from the way Adam \add sinned, died\add*. \add Adam's sin\add* affected \add all people\add*, just like what \add Christ did\add*, the one who came later, can affect all people.
|
||
\v 15 But \add the results of God's erasing the record of our sins as\add* a gift to us are not like \add the results of Adam's\add* sinning. The result of one man, \add Adam\add*, sinning was that many/all people have died. But \add it is certain\add*, \add however\add*, that many people have abundantly experienced God's acting kindly toward them in a way they did not deserve. \add It is also certain\add* that they have experienced God's erasing the record of their sins as the result of one man, Jesus Christ, acting kindly toward them/towards them in a way they did not deserve.
|
||
\v 16 And \add there is another way in which God's\add* freely \add erasing the record of our sins\add* is not like \add the results of Adam's\add* sinning. One person, \add Adam, sinned\add*. As a result, God declared that all people deserve to be punished. Many people sinned. But what God did was that he erased the record of their sins without their earning it.
|
||
\v 17 All people die [MET, PRS] because of what one man, \add Adam\add*, did. But now many of us experience that God has abundantly acted towards us in ways we did not deserve, and we experience that he has erased the record of our sins without our earning it. It is also very certain that we will rule \add with Christ\add* (OR, share \add the glory\add* of Christ's being king), \add in heaven. This will happen\add* because of \add what\add* one man, Jesus Christ, \add did for us\add*.
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 18 So, \add because one man, Adam\add*, disobeyed \add God's law\add*, that resulted in all people deserving to be punished {that God punish them}. Similarly, because one man, \add Jesus\add*, acted righteously \add by obeying God when he died\add*, the result was that God is \add able to erase the record of\add* all people's sins and \add enable them to\add* live eternally.
|
||
\v 19 It was because one person, \add Adam\add*, disobeyed \add God\add* that many/all people became sinners. Similarly, it is because one person, \add Jesus\add*, obeyed \add God when he died\add* that the record of many people's sins will be erased {that \add he\add* will erase the record of many people's sins}.
|
||
\v 20 \add God gave\add* [PRS] his laws \add to Moses\add* [PRS] in order that \add people might realize\add* how greatly they had sinned; but as people sinned more, God continued to act even more kindly toward them, in a way that they did not deserve.
|
||
\v 21 He did that in order that just like people everywhere inevitably sin, \add which results in their\add* dying [MET, PRS], people everywhere might inevitably experience God's acting kindly towards them in a way they do not deserve [MET, PRS] by \add erasing the record of their sins\add*. \add The result is that people can\add* live eternally because of what Jesus Christ our Lord \add did for them\add*.
|
||
\c 6
|
||
\s1 If someone were to say that perhaps we should continue to sin in order that God may continue to act more kindly toward us, I would reply that we who ought to consider ourselves unresponsive to sinful desires should certainly not continue sinning. We must keep remembering that it is as though our former sinful nature has ceased to function, and it is as though we have become unresponsive to sinful desires, living in a new way. So do not let the desire to commit sin control you. Instead, present yourselves to God to do righteous things.
|
||
\sr Romans 6:1-14
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Someone might [RHQ] say \add in reply to what I have written\add* that \add since God acted kindly toward us\add* in a way we did not deserve \add because we sinned\add*, ◄perhaps we should continue to sin in order that he may continue to act even more kindly toward us \add and keep on forgiving us\add*./should we continue to sin in order that he may continue to act even more kindly toward us \add and keep on forgiving us\add*?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 2 \add I would reply\add*, No, certainly not! We \add ought to consider that\add* our sinful desires [MET] \add cannot make us do what they want us to do\add*, \add just like we cannot make\add* a corpse do what we want it to do. So ◄it is not right that we continue to sin!/how can we continue to sin?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 3 When we were baptized {\add asked someone to\add* baptize us} in order to show that we have a relationship with (OR, are united to) Jesus Christ, our \add being baptized was to declare that it was as though\add* we died with Christ. ◄\add I want\add* you to remember that!/Do you not know that?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 4 So, when we were baptized {someone baptized us}, \add it was as though\add* we were buried with Christ. \add We were baptized\add* in order to indicate that \add we would not let our sinful desires make us do what they want us to do, just like people cannot make\add* a corpse \add do what they want it to\add* do [MET]. We \add were baptized\add* to \add signify that we would\add* continually conduct our lives in a new way, just like Christ was caused to live again in a new way by the great \add power\add* of \add God his\add* Father.
|
||
\v 5 Because of our close relationship with Christ, we have \add separated ourselves from the former way in which we conducted our lives\add*, just like he \add was separated from his physical life when he\add* died [MET]. But God will also certainly \add enable us to live in a new way, just like he\add* enabled Christ to live again.
|
||
\v 6 We must keep remembering that when Christ died on the cross [MET], \add it was as though\add* our sinful nature \add died with him. It has\add* lost its power to make us do what it wants us to do [MET]. That happened in order that we would not do the sinful \add things that our bodies\add* [MET], which desire to sin, want us to do, and in order that we would no longer have to sin [MET], as slaves \add have to do what their masters want\add*.
|
||
\v 7 \add We are, as it were, freed\add* {\add free\add*} \add from\add* sinful \add desires\add* [MET] \add controlling us, just like\add* those who have died are free \add from anything controlling them\add*.
|
||
\v 8 Since \add it is as though\add* we died with Christ, we believe that we will continue to live with him.
|
||
\v 9 We know that since \add God\add* enabled Christ to live again after he died, Christ will never die again. Nothing will ever be able to make him die again [PRS].
|
||
\v 10 When he died, he died once for \add people\add* who had sinned, and he will never die again; but in regard to his living \add again now\add*, he lives in order to \add serve/honor\add* God.
|
||
\v 11 Similarly, you must consider that \add it is as though\add* you have become \add unable to do what your\add* sinful \add desires\add* [MET] want, as a corpse \add is not able to do what anyone wants it to do\add*. You must also consider that because of your relationship to Christ Jesus you are living \add in a new way\add* in order to \add serve/honor\add* God.
|
||
\v 12 So, do not let the \add desire to\add* sin [PRS] control your bodies [MET] with the result that you do the sinful things that you desire to do. \add Remember that\add* your bodies will surely die, \add but your spirits will never die\add*.
|
||
\v 13 Do not let any of your body parts do wicked things, as \add you did\add* [MET] \add when you were spiritually\add* dead. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who are alive \add spiritually\add*. Present all your body parts to God, \add to allow him\add* to use them to \add do\add* righteous things.
|
||
\v 14 Do not let a \add desire to\add* sin control you [PRS]. The laws \add that God gave Moses\add* did not enable you \add to stop sinning\add*. But \add now\add* God controls you and kindly helps you \add not to sin\add*.
|
||
\s1 If someone should conclude that people can sin now because they are not obligated to obey the Mosaic laws, I would say, “Certainly not!” Instead, let your minds compel your bodies to act righteously.
|
||
\sr Romans 6:15-23
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 15 \add I suppose that certain people might think about what I have just said and they might\add* say [RHQ], “\add You say that\add* the laws \add God gave Moses\add* did not \add enable us to stop sinning, but that God is now\add* treating us kindly in ways we do not deserve. ◄\add That seems to mean that God permits\add* us to continue sinning./\add Does that mean that God permits\add* us to continue sinning?► [RHQ]” My reply to that is no, we should certainly not continue \add sinning\add*
|
||
\v 16 \add Slaves\add* have to obey \add what their masters command\add* [MET] \add them to do\add*. ◄I want you to remember this./Do you not know this?► [RHQ] Similarly, if you present yourselves to someone \add in order to\add* obey him, you will be the slaves [MET] of the person you obey. Similarly, \add if you have yielded yourselves to do the\add* sinful things \add you desire\add*, you are slaves of your sinful desires [PRS], and you will be eternally separated from God. \add If you have yielded yourselves\add* to obey \add God\add*, you are slaves of God and you need to \add live\add* righteously.
|
||
\v 17 You were once slaves \add to\add* your sinful \add desires\add*. But you began to sincerely obey the new teaching [MET] that you were taught {that \add people\add* taught you}. I thank God for that.
|
||
\v 18 \add I\add* also \add thank God that\add* you have been freed {\add that\add* he has freed you} from \add being controlled by a desire to\add* sin and that you have become \add as though you were\add* slaves [MET] to \add living\add* righteously [MET].
|
||
\v 19 I am illustrating what I say \add by talking about slavery\add* because your human nature prevents you from understanding \add spiritual truth\add* easily. \add In the past\add* you willingly did the immoral and unlawful things that \add your minds compelled\add* your bodies to do [MET], \add just like\add* slaves \add do what their masters compel them to do\add*. As a result, you did even more unlawful things. Now, \add you need to\add* willingly allow \add your minds to compel\add* your bodies to \add act\add* righteously [MET], in order that you will behave in a holy/pure way.
|
||
\v 20 When you were \add like\add* slaves \add because your sinful desires compelled you to do\add* sinful things [MET], you were not \add concerned about behaving\add* righteously [MET].
|
||
\v 21 Nevertheless, \add doing\add* those things resulted in your being separated from God, so ◄you did not benefit at all from \add doing\add* the \add sinful\add* things that you are now ashamed of./what did you gain from \add doing\add* the things that you are now ashamed of?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 22 But you have been freed {\add God\add* has freed you} from \add letting the desire to\add* sin control you. You have become \add as though you were\add* [MET] the slaves of God. So now the result is that God has caused you to completely belong to him and, as a result, you will live eternally.
|
||
\v 23 \add What people receive for\add* sinning \add is that they are\add* eternally separated from God. That is \add like\add* wages that \add people receive\add* [MET]. But what God gives us is a gift. What he gives us is that we live eternally because of \add our relationship with\add* (OR, because \add we are united to\add*) Christ Jesus our Lord.
|
||
\c 7
|
||
\s1 You know that after people die they are freed from being required to obey any law. Similarly, God has freed us from being required to obey all the Jewish rituals and laws.
|
||
\sr Romans 7:1-6
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 My fellow believers, you know about laws. So ◄you certainly know (OR, I want you to remember) that people have to obey laws [PRS] \add only\add* while \add they are\add* alive./do you not know that people have to obey laws [PRS] \add only\add* while \add they are\add* alive?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 2 For example, a woman is required by the law {the law requires a woman} \add to obey and be faithful to her husband\add* as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, she is freed \add from having to\add* {\add no longer has to\add*} \add obey\add* the law about \add remaining married to\add* her husband.
|
||
\v 3 Therefore, a woman will be called {people will call a woman} an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she no longer \add has to obey\add* that law. Then she will not be an adulteress if she marries another man.
|
||
\v 4 Likewise, my fellow believers, \add just like people are free from having to obey any law after they die\add* [MET], you \add and I\add* have been freed {\add God\add* has freed you \add and me\add*} from having \add to obey\add* all the Jewish rituals and laws [MET]. \add That is because it is as though\add* we died with Christ \add when he was crucified\add*. Now you \add and I\add* belong to someone else [MET], \add like a woman who marries again after her husband dies belongs to another man\add*. Specifically, you \add and I\add* belong to \add Christ\add*, who has been raised from the dead {whom \add God\add* has caused to live again after he died}, in order that we may live righteously [IDM] to \add honor\add* God.
|
||
\v 5 When our self-directed nature \add controlled\add* us, desires \add that led us to\add* sin were acting in our bodies. \add Those desires were increased because of our knowing God's\add* laws [PRS]. As a result \add we did evil things\add* [IDM] \add that\add* caused us to be separated from God.
|
||
\v 6 But now we are freed {free} from \add having to obey all the Jewish\add* rituals— \add it is as though\add* we have died. The result is that now we are not controlled by those rituals {those rituals do not control us now}. So we serve God, not by \add having to obey\add* those rituals, which is the old way, but in the new way, as \add God's\add* Spirit \add helps us to serve him\add*.
|
||
\s1 My reply to the objection that the laws of Moses are evil because they cause us to sin is that the laws are holy and good; what the laws do are simply to reveal that what we are doing is sinful.
|
||
\sr Romans 7:7-12
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 7 \add Someone might object\add*, saying, “◄The laws \add that God gave Moses\add* must be evil \add if our sinful desires\add* are increased because of our knowing those laws. [MTY]/Are not the laws \add that God gave Moses\add* evil \add if they stir up our sinful desires\add*?►” [MTY, RHQ] \add I would reply\add* that they certainly are not \add evil, even though our sinful desires are increased\add*. What I would reply is that I, \add for example\add*, realized that \add what I was doing\add* was sinful only because \add of what is written\add* {\add Moses wrote\add*} \add in\add* those laws. For example, I realized that coveting \add is sinful\add* only because he wrote in those laws [PRS], “You must not covet.”
|
||
\v 8 And because of what that commandment \add stated\add*, my sinful \add desire to have things that belong to others\add* [PRS] caused me to covet in many ways. \add Our desire to\add* sin is not stimulated [MET] when there is no law \add that prohibits our doing sinful things\add*.
|
||
\v 9 Formerly, when I did not \add know\add* what God's laws \add required\add*, I used to live \add without worrying about what I was doing\add*. But when I \add became aware that God\add* commanded, \add “You must not covet\add*,” I suddenly realized [PRS] that I was sinning,
|
||
\v 10 and \add I realized that\add* I was separated from God. The laws that \add I thought would enable me to\add* live \add eternally as a result of my obeying them\add* caused me \add to realize that\add* I was separated from God!
|
||
\v 11 \add My desire to\add* sin found a way [PRS] to deceive me \add by making me think wrongly that\add* I could keep \add on sinning and at the same time obey\add* those laws \add enough so that I would live eternally\add*, and \add thus it\add* caused me to be separated from God [PRS].
|
||
\v 12 So \add we conclude that\add* the laws \add that God gave to Moses\add* are holy. What God commanded \add about not coveting, along with all the other things that he commanded\add*, is also holy, and it is just and good.
|
||
\s1 My reply to the objection that God's law, being good, causes people to become spiritually dead is no, it is our desire to commit sin that causes us to sin and become spiritually dead.
|
||
\sr Romans 7:13
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 13 So, \add if someone were to object\add* saying, “\add The laws that God gave Moses\add*, which are good, ◄resulted in my being separated from God!/did they result in my being separated from God?► [RHQ]” \add I would reply\add*, “Certainly they did not \add do that!\add*” But instead, those \add laws\add*, which are good, stimulated \add my desire to\add* sin. I knew that the result was that I was separated from God. And also, because I \add learned what God had\add* commanded, \add I knew that\add* what I was doing was \add truly\add* sinful.
|
||
\s1 The laws came from God's Spirit, but you and I are influenced by our sinful natures. We often do not do the things that we desire, and we do the things that we detest because of a desire to sin that permeates us and prevents us from doing good, unless Christ frees us from being controlled by these desires.
|
||
\sr Romans 7:14-25
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 14 We know that the laws \add that God gave Moses came from God's\add* Spirit. But as for me, I am \add influenced by my\add* self-directed nature. \add It is as though\add* I have been forced to become a slave of \add my desire to\add* sin [MET].
|
||
\v 15 The things that I do, I \add often\add* [HYP] do not understand. That is, \add sometimes\add* [HYP] it is \add the good things\add* that I want \add to do\add* that I do not do. \add And sometimes\add* [HYP] it is the \add evil\add* things that I detest that I do.
|
||
\v 16 Since I \add do\add* the \add evil\add* things that I do not want \add to\add* do, I agree that the laws \add of God\add* are good.
|
||
\v 17 So, it is not that I do \add evil things because I wish to do them\add*. Instead, \add I do sinful things because the desire to\add* sin \add causes me to do them\add*. The \add desire to\add* sin ◄in within/permeates► me [PRS].
|
||
\v 18 I know that my self-directed nature will not \add let me\add* [PRS] \add do\add* anything that is good. I know this because I want \add to do what is good\add*, but I do not do what is good.
|
||
\v 19 I do not do the good things that I want to do. Instead, it is evil things that I do not want to do that I do.
|
||
\v 20 Because I do \add evil things\add* that I do not want to do, it is not that I do \add evil things because I want to\add*. Instead, \add I do them because\add* my self-directed nature, which permeates me [PRS], \add causes me to do them\add*.
|
||
\v 21 I find, then, that what always happens is that when I want to do what is good, there is an evil \add desire\add* present within me that [PRS] \add prevents me from doing good\add*.
|
||
\v 22 With my new inner nature I like the laws of God very much.
|
||
\v 23 Nevertheless, I sense that there is a different force that is in ◄my body/me► [PRS, SYN]. It is opposed to what with my mind \add I desire to do\add* [MET], and it puts me inescapably under the control of [MET] the sinful \add desires\add* that I have [SYN].
|
||
\v 24 ◄\add When I consider this\add*, I \add feel that I\add* am a very wretched person. I want someone to set me free from the control of what my body \add desires\add*, in order that I might not be separated from God./Will someone set me free from the control of what my body \add desires\add*, in order that I might not be separated from God?► [RHQ] \add I also think that what I have experienced is the same as what all believers experience\add*.
|
||
\v 25 I thank God that it is by Jesus Christ our Lord \add that we can be free from the control of what our bodies desire\add*. So, \add with our minds, you and\add* I on the one hand want to obey God's laws. \add But also\add*, \add you and\add* I \add often let\add* our sinful \add desires control us\add* because of our self-directed nature.
|
||
\c 8
|
||
\s1 God will not in any way condemn those who are united to Christ Jesus, because God's Spirit has freed us from the inevitability of sinning and from spiritual death.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:1-11
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Because \add God has erased the record of our sins because we trust in what Christ has done for us\add*, now \add God will\add* not condemn and punish those/us who have a relationship with (OR, are united to) Christ Jesus.
|
||
\v 2 \add God's\add* Spirit causes us to live \add in a new way\add* [PRS] as a result of what Christ Jesus \add did for us\add*. And he has set up a way by which he frees \add each of\add* us from continually being forced to sin (OR, to obey our self-directed natures) and from being separated from God.
|
||
\v 3 What \add we\add* could not do \add by trying to obey\add* the laws \add of God\add* [PRS], because our self-directed nature was too weak \add to obey them\add*, God did. He sent his own Son \add into the world in order that his Son might atone\add* for our sin. His Son came having a body (OR, human nature) that was like \add the body\add* (OR, the \add human nature\add*) of us people who sin. \add By sending his Son in this way\add*, he condemned and punished \add his Son, who never sinned, instead of punishing us, who\add* sinned [MTY]. He did that \add by making his Son's\add* body \add a sacrifice\add* (OR, \add by causing his Son's\add* body \add to suffer/die\add*) for \add all our\add* sin.
|
||
\v 4 So we can \add now\add* fulfill all that God required in his laws. We do this, not by our acting the way our sinful human nature \add desires\add*, but instead by living as \add God's\add* Spirit \add desires us to live\add*.
|
||
\v 5 People who live according to what their self-directed nature \add desires\add* think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature \add desires\add*. But people who \add live\add* according to what \add God's\add* Spirit \add desires think about and are concerned about\add* what \add God's\add* Spirit \add desires\add*.
|
||
\v 6 Those people who [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature \add desires\add* will not live eternally (OR, will be separated from God). But those people who think about and are concerned about what \add God's\add* Spirit \add desires\add* will live \add eternally\add* and have \add inner\add* peace.
|
||
\v 7 Let me explain this. \add To the extent that\add* people [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature \add desires\add*, they are acting contrary to God. They do not obey the laws of God. In fact, they are not even able \add to obey his laws\add*.
|
||
\v 8 The people who let their self-directed nature \add control them\add* cannot do what pleases God.
|
||
\v 9 But we do not have to let our self-directed nature \add control us\add*. Instead, we can \add let\add* God's Spirit \add control us\add*, because he lives within us. If people do not have \add living in them\add* the Spirit \add who comes from\add* Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
|
||
\v 10 But since Christ \add is living in you/us by his Spirit, although\add* your/our bodies \add are certain to\add* die because you/we sin, your/our spirits are alive because God has erased the record of your/our sins.
|
||
\v 11 \add God\add* caused Jesus to live again after he died. And because his Spirit lives in you/us, \add God\add* will also make your/our bodies, which \add now\add* are sure to die, live \add again after you/we die\add*. God, who caused Christ to live again after he died, will make you/us live again by \add causing\add* his Spirit, who lives within you/us, \add to do it\add*.
|
||
\s1 We are compelled to live as the Spirit directs, not as our self-directed nature directs, because if we do the latter we will be eternally separated from God, but if we cease doing the latter we will live eternally.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:12-13
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 12 Therefore, my fellow believers, we must \add live as the Spirit directs us\add*. What we do not have to do is to live as our self-directed nature \add guides us\add*.
|
||
\v 13 If you live the way your self-directed nature \add directs\add*, you will surely not live \add eternally\add* (OR, will surely be eternally separated from God). But if by \add the power of God's\add* Spirit you quit doing the \add sinful\add* things that your bodies \add desire\add* [MET], you will live eternally.
|
||
\s1 Because we who allow the Spirit of God to guide us are God's children, we will also inherit eternal blessings from God.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:14-17
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 14 We who are guided by the Spirit of God {allow the Spirit of God to guide us} are God's children.
|
||
\v 15 \add You have showed that this is true\add*, because you received \add from God\add* a Spirit that is not one that makes you fear \add God\add* again. You are not like slaves who \add fear their masters\add* [MET]. On the contrary, we have received a Spirit by whose \add work in our hearts God\add* has adopted us. The Spirit now enables us to cry out \add to God\add*, “\add You(sg) are my\add* Father [DOU]!”
|
||
\v 16 The Spirit himself confirms what our spirits \add say\add*, that we are God's children.
|
||
\v 17 Because we are \add God's\add* children, we also will some day receive/inherit \add eternal blessings/privileges\add*. We will receive/inherit them from God, and we will \add also\add* receive/inherit \add them\add* just like Christ has \add inherited them\add*. But we must suffer \add for doing good\add* as Christ did, in order to receive splendor as he did.
|
||
\s1 Since everything that God has created is eagerly awaiting the time when he will reveal who are his true children, I consider that what we suffer now is not worth paying attention to.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:18-25
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 18 I consider that what we suffer during the present time is not worth \add paying attention to, because\add* the future splendor/glory that will be revealed {that \add God\add* will reveal} to us \add is so great\add*.
|
||
\v 19 The \add things that God has\add* created are very eagerly waiting for \add the time\add* [PRS, DOU] when God will reveal who his \add true\add* children are.
|
||
\v 20 \add God\add* caused the things that he created to be unable to achieve \add what he had purposed. That was\add* not because they wanted to \add be unable to do that\add*. On the contrary, \add God\add* made them that way because he wanted them to keep confidently expecting
|
||
\v 21 that the things that \add he\add* created will be freed {that \add he\add* will free the things that \add he\add* created} from their sure decay [MET]. \add He\add* will free them in order that \add he can give them\add* the same glory that belongs to his children.
|
||
\v 22 We know that until now \add it is as though\add* all \add things\add* that God created have been groaning together, \add and they long for that glory, just like a mother having the pains before bearing a child\add* groans \add and longs for her baby's birth\add* [MET].
|
||
\v 23 Not only \add do those things groan\add*, but we ourselves also groan inwardly. We who have \add God's\add* Spirit, who is like a partial gift [MET] we have received as we wait for \add the future glory, groan inwardly\add*. We groan while we wait eagerly for the time when we will receive our \add full\add* rights as God's adopted children. That \add will include\add* his freeing our bodies \add from the things that hinder us on earth. He will do this by giving us new bodies\add*.
|
||
\v 24 Ever since we were saved {since \add God\add* saved us}, we have continued to confidently expect \add that future glory\add*. If we had what we waited for, we would not \add need to\add* wait for it any longer, because those who have something, ◄certainly do not continue to wait for it!/will they continue to wait for it?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 25 But because we keep waiting expectantly to receive what we do not yet have, we wait for it eagerly and patiently/perseveringly.
|
||
\s1 God's Spirit helps us when our spirits feel weak; he prays for us and God understands what his Spirit intends.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:26-27
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 26 Similarly, in addition to our continuing to wait for what God will give us, God's Spirit helps us when our spirits feel weak. We do not know what is proper/necessary for us to pray. But God's Spirit knows, and he prays for us when we groan (OR, he groans) in a way that cannot be expressed in words (OR, prays with us, groaning in a way that cannot be expressed in words).
|
||
\v 27 God, who examines our inner feelings, understands what his Spirit desires/intends. What God understands is that his Spirit prays for us who belong to God exactly as God wants him to pray.
|
||
\s1 God works out all things in a way that produces good spiritual benefits for us who love him. He does this because, having known that we would be saved and thus we would have the character of his Son, he chose us and declared us righteous, and he will surely give us future splendor.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:28-30
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 28 And we know that to those/us who love God, he works out all things that happen \add to them/us\add* in a way that produces good \add spiritual\add* benefits \add for us\add*. He does this for those/us whom he has chosen, because that was (OR, was according to) what he planned to do.
|
||
\v 29 God knew previously \add that we would believe\add* in him (OR, \add would be saved\add*). We are those who God also decided previously would have a character like his Son's character. The result of that is that \add Christ is like\add* a firstborn/highest-ranking \add son\add*, and \add those/we who are God's children\add* [MET] are \add like\add* [MET] many \add younger\add* brothers \add of Jesus\add*.
|
||
\v 30 And us who God decided previously \add that we would be like his Son\add* he also summoned. And for us whom he summoned, he also erased the record of our sins. And for us whose record of sins he has erased, he also will surely give future splendor.
|
||
\s1 We must conclude from these things that no one can prevail against us, and absolutely no one and nothing can separate us from Christ's loving us and God's loving us.
|
||
\sr Romans 8:31-39
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 31 So ◄I will tell you what we must conclude from \add all\add* these things \add that God does for us\add*./what shall we conclude from \add all\add* these things \add that God does for us\add*?► [RHQ] Because God \add is acting\add* on our behalf, ◄no one can win against us!/can anyone prevail against us? (OR, it does not matter if anyone opposes us)!► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 32 God did not spare even his very own Son. Instead, he turned him over \add to others to cruelly kill him\add* in order that all we \add who believe in him\add* may benefit \add from his dying for us. Therefore, because God did that\add*, ◄he will also certainly give us freely everything \add that we need to live for him\add*, in addition to \add giving us\add* Christ./will he not also certainly give us freely everything \add that we need to live for him\add*, in addition to \add giving us\add* Christ?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 33 It is God himself who erases the record of our sins. So ◄no one who accuses us \add before God will win against us\add* (OR, \add it does not matter\add* if anyone tries to accuse us) whom God has chosen./is it possible that anyone who accuses us \add before God\add* will win against us (OR, does it matter if anyone tries to accuse us) whom God has chosen?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 34 It is Christ Jesus himself who pleads \add with God\add* for us, so ◄no one can condemn us (OR, say that we are still guilty for our sin)./can anyone condemn us (OR, say that we are still guilty for our sin)?► [RHQ] Christ died \add for us\add*, but he was also raised {\add God\add* also raised him} from the dead, and he is now at the place of honor \add ruling\add* with God [MTY].
|
||
\v 35 ◄Absolutely no one and nothing can cause Christ to stop loving us!/Can anyone or anything cause Christ to stop loving us?► [RHQ] That could not [RHQ] happen \add because someone\add* afflicted us [DOU], or \add because someone did things to\add* harm us, or \add because we did\add* not have anything to eat, or \add because we did\add* not have enough clothes, or \add because we lived in a\add* dangerous situation, or \add because someone killed us with\add* a sword [MTY] (OR, murdered us).
|
||
\v 36 \add Such things may happen to us, just like\add* it is written {\add as David\add* wrote} \add that David said to God\add*, “Because we are your \add (sg)\add* people, \add other people repeatedly attempt to\add* kill us. They consider that we are \add only people to be killed\add*, \add like a butcher considers\add* that sheep are \add only\add* animals to be slaughtered [MET].”
|
||
\v 37 But even though all these bad things \add may happen to us\add*, we win completely/triumphantly \add over these things because Christ\add*, who loves us, \add helps us\add*.
|
||
\v 38 I am completely convinced {absolutely certain} that neither being dead (OR, being killed), nor \add what happens to us while\add* we live, nor angels, nor demons, nor present events, nor future events, nor powerful \add beings/forces\add*,
|
||
\v 39 nor \add powerful beings\add* above \add the horizon\add* or below \add the horizon\add* [MTY], nor anything else that \add God has\add* created can cause God to stop loving us. \add God showed us that he loves us by sending\add* Jesus Christ our Lord \add to die for us\add*.
|
||
\c 9
|
||
\s1 I tell you very sincerely that I grieve greatly about most of my fellow Israelites having rejected Christ. I would be willing to be separated from Christ if that would help them believe in him.
|
||
\sr Romans 9:1-5
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 \add Now I would like to discuss the fact that most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ\add*. Because of my relationship with Christ, I say completely truthfully \add what I will now tell you\add*. I am not lying [DOU]! My conscience confirms what I \add say\add* because the Holy Spirit \add controls it\add*.
|
||
\v 2 \add I tell you that\add* I grieve very greatly and deeply [DOU] \add about my fellow Israelites\add*.
|
||
\v 3 I personally would be willing to let \add God\add* curse me \add and, as a result, be separated\add* from Christ \add if that would\add* help my fellow Israelites, my natural kinsmen, \add to believe in Christ\add*.
|
||
\v 4 We \add Jews\add* are \add Israelites, God's chosen\add* descendants of \add Jacob\add*. \add God has always considered\add* us as his children [MET]. It was to our ancestors \add that he used to appear\add* gloriously \add while they were in the desert\add*. It was with them that \add God made\add* covenants \add several times\add*. It was to them \add that God\add* gave the laws \add at Mount Sinai\add*. They were the ones \add to whom God showed how they should\add* worship him. They were the ones \add to whom God\add* promised many things, \add especially that the Messiah would come from their race\add*.
|
||
\v 5 It was our ancestors, \add Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose to found our nation\add*. And, \add most importantly\add*, it was from us Israelites that the Messiah received his human nature. \add Nevertheless, most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ\add*, who is the one who controls all things! He is God, the one who is worthy that we praise him forever! This is true! (OR, Amen!)
|
||
\s1 This does not prove that God has failed to do for Abraham what he promised, because, as Scripture illustrates, it is not all who are naturally descended from Jacob or Abraham whom God considers to be his children, but it is those who were born as a result of what God promised whom he considers his children.
|
||
\sr Romans 9:6-13
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 6 \add God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that their descendants would all inherit his blessings\add*. But \add although most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ\add*, that does not \add prove\add* that God has failed \add to do\add* the things that he promised, because it is not all who are descended from Jacob and who \add call themselves the people of\add* Israel whom \add God considers\add* to be truly his people.
|
||
\v 7 And it is also not all of Abraham's natural descendants that \add God considers\add* to be his people. Instead, \add God considers only some of them to be Abraham's children\add*. \add This agrees with what God told Abraham\add*: “It is Isaac, \add not any of your(sg) other sons\add*, whom \add I\add* will consider \add to be the true father of\add* your descendants.”
|
||
\v 8 That means that it is not all the natural-born descendants \add of Abraham\add* whom God \add considers as\add* his children. Instead it is those who were born as a result of \add believing what God\add* promised whom \add he\add* considers to be his children.
|
||
\v 9 \add You know that what God\add* promised \add to Abraham\add* was this: “About this time \add next year\add* Sarah \add your wife\add* will bear a son \add as a result of my enabling\add* [MTY] \add her\add*.” \add So Abraham knew that it was not through Ishmael, the son that he already had, that God would fulfill what he had promised him\add* (OR, \add that his true descendants would come\add*).
|
||
\v 10 And not only then did God show \add that he did not determine who would be his true children according to who their ancestors were. He showed it again\add* when Rebecca conceived \add twins\add* by our ancestor Isaac.
|
||
\v 11-12 Before \add the twins, Jacob and Esau\add*, were born, when neither one had yet done anything good or bad, \add God\add* said to Rebecca \add about the twins she was to bear\add*, “The older one shall later serve the younger one, \add contrary to normal custom\add*.” \add God said this\add* in order that \add we\add* might \add clearly\add* understand that what he purposed \add for people\add* was according to what he himself determined. That is, people's \add eternal destiny\add* does not depend on what they do. Instead, their destiny depends on \add God\add*, the one who chooses them.
|
||
\v 13 And \add this teaching is\add* ◄\add supported/shown to be true\add*► \add by\add* what is written \add in the Scriptures\add* {what \add a prophet\add* recorded} \add that God said\add*: “I favored Jacob, \add the younger son\add*. I did not favor [HYP] Esau, \add the older son\add*.”
|
||
\s1 As the Scriptures indicate, God's choosing people depends not on their wishes or efforts. He helps whomever he wants to help, and he makes stubborn whomever he wants to make stubborn. We cannot conclude that God is unjust in choosing the ones he wants to choose.
|
||
\sr Romans 9:14-18
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 14 \add Someone\add* might say, “◄Is God unjust \add by choosing the ones he wants to choose?/I think\add* that God is unjust \add by choosing the ones he wants to choose!\add*►” [RHQ] \add I would reply\add*, “\add He is\add* certainly not \add unjust!\add*”
|
||
\v 15 God told Moses, “I will pity and help anyone whom I choose [DOU]!”
|
||
\v 16 So \add God chooses people\add*, not because they want \add God to choose them\add* or because they try hard \add to do things so that he\add* will \add accept them\add*. Instead he chooses people because he himself has mercy \add on undeserving ones\add*.
|
||
\v 17 \add Moses\add* recorded [PRS] \add that God had told\add* Pharaoh, “This is why I gave you \add (sg)\add* authority [MTY]: It was in order that I might show \add by how I oppose\add* you \add how exceedingly\add* powerful I am, and in order that people everywhere [HYP] would hear about me [MTY].”
|
||
\v 18 So \add we conclude that God\add* kindly helps the ones he wants to act kindly towards. But he makes stubborn the ones \add such as Pharaoh\add* that he wants \add to make stubborn\add*.
|
||
\s1 My reply to anyone's objection to this doctrine is that God has a right to carry out his purposes; he tolerated the people who caused him to be angry, in order that he might disclose how gloriously he acts toward those on whom he intends to have mercy.
|
||
\sr Romans 9:19-29
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 19 \add One of\add* you may \add object to this by\add* saying to me, “\add Because God determines ahead of time everything that people do, that also implies that he wants us to do everything that we do\add*. ◄No one has resisted what God has willed!/Who has resisted what God has willed?► [RHQ] Therefore, ◄it would not be right that God would still condemn \add a person for having sinned\add*!/why does God still condemn \add a person for having sinned\add*?► [RHQ]”
|
||
\v 20 \add I would reply that since\add* you \add (sg)\add* are \add just a\add* human being, ◄you do not \add have any right at all to\add* criticize God!/\add who are you to\add* say that what God does is wrong?► [RHQ] \add As a potter is the one who creates a clay pot, God is the one who created you\add*. ◄A clay pot [MET] certainly would not \add have a right to criticize\add* the potter by asking [PRS], “Why did you \add (sg)\add* make me this way?”/Would a clay pot \add have a right to criticize\add* the potter by asking [PRS], “Why did you \add (sg)\add* make me this way?”► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 21 Instead, ◄the potter certainly has the right to \add take\add* some clay and from one lump \add of clay\add* make one pot that people will honor and \add make another\add* one for ordinary purposes [MET]./does not a potter have the right to \add take\add* some clay and from one lump \add of clay\add* make one pot that people will honor and \add make another\add* pot for ordinary purposes?► [MET, RHQ] \add Similarly, God has the right to carry out what he purposes for people\add*.
|
||
\v 22 Although God desires to show that he is angry \add about sin\add*, and \add although he desires to\add* make clear that he can powerfully \add punish people who have sinned\add*, he tolerated very patiently the people [MET] who caused him to be angry and who deserved to be destroyed (OR, who were made to be destroyed).
|
||
\v 23 \add God has been patient\add* in order that he might make clear how very wonderfully \add he acts toward those\add* [MET] whom he intended to act mercifully towards and whom he prepared ahead of time in order that they might \add live\add* gloriously \add in heaven\add*.
|
||
\v 24 That means us whom he chose—not only \add us\add* Jews but also non-Jews.
|
||
\v 25 \add These words that\add* Hosea wrote [MTY] that \add God\add* said also ◄show that God has the right/\add support God's right\add*► \add to choose from among both Jews and non-Jews\add* [MTY]:
|
||
\q I will declare that many people who were not my people are now my people. I will declare that many people whom I did not love [HYP] before, I love now.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 And \add another prophet wrote\add*:
|
||
\q What will happen is that in the places where \add God\add* told them before, “You are not my people,” in those same places \add people\add* will declare truthfully that they are children of God, who is completely powerful.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Isaiah also exclaimed concerning the Israelites:
|
||
\q Even though the Israelites are \add so many that no one can count them, like\add* sand \add particles beside\add* the ocean, \add only\add* the small part of them will be saved {\add God\add* will save \add only\add* the small part of them},
|
||
\v 28 because the Lord will punish completely and speedily the \add people who live in that\add* land, as he said that he would do.
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 29 \add Also, we can understand from what the prophet\add* Isaiah said \add that God would not save\add* anyone if he did not show mercy,
|
||
\q If the Lord, who controls everything in heaven, had not mercifully allowed some of our descendants to survive, we would have become like the people of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were [SIM, DOU] completely destroyed.
|
||
\s1 The non-Jews found the way by which God could declare them righteous. The Jews did not succeed in fulfilling what the Mosaic laws require. Instead, they tried to find a way to be declared righteous by doing things in order that God would accept them.
|
||
\sr Romans 9:30-33
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 30 ◄We must conclude this:/What shall we conclude?► [RHQ] Although non-Jews did not search out \add a way by which\add* God would erase the record of their sins, they found that way because they trusted \add in what Christ did for them\add*.
|
||
\v 31 But although \add the people of\add* Israel sought a basis \add by which God would\add* erase the record of their sins, they did not succeed in \add fulfilling the true purpose of the\add* laws \add that God gave to Moses\add*.
|
||
\v 32 The reason [RHQ] \add that they did not succeed\add* is that they did not trust that \add God would provide a way to save them\add*. Instead, they were trying to do certain things \add in order that God would accept them. Because they did not expect the Messiah to die, the Israelites\add* felt disgusted concerning \add Jesus' death, which is like\add* the stone [MET] on which people stumble.
|
||
\v 33 This is what \add a prophet\add* predicted when he wrote these words that \add God said about the Messiah\add*:
|
||
\q Listen! I am placing in Israel [MTY] \add one who is like\add* a stone [MET] on which people will stumble. What he does will offend people [DOU]. Nevertheless, those who believe in him will not be disappointed.
|
||
\c 10
|
||
\s1 My deep desire and earnest prayer is that God will save the Jews, who do not understand how to seek him correctly.
|
||
\sr Romans 10:1-4
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 My fellow believers, what I deeply desire and what I pray to God earnestly for is that he will save \add my own people\add*, \add the Jews\add*.
|
||
\v 2 I declare truthfully about them that although they ◄zealously seek/very much want to know► God, they do not understand \add how to seek/know him correctly\add*.
|
||
\v 3 They did not ◄submit themselves to/accept► the way that God erases the record of people's sins. They did not \add want to\add* recognize \add that way\add* because they wanted him to do it their own way.
|
||
\v 4 They wanted God to erase the record of their sins \add as a result of their obeying his laws. But\add* because of what Christ has done, it is no longer necessary for \add people to obey\add* the laws \add God gave Moses in order for the record of their sins to be erased\add*. Now God will erase the record of sins of everyone who trusts \add in what Christ has done\add*.
|
||
\s1 The message of Scripture is that those who confess publicly that Jesus is their Lord and who believe inwardly that God raised Jesus from the dead will be saved, because God accepts people only because of their faith, Jews and non-Jews alike.
|
||
\sr Romans 10:5-13
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 5 In regard to \add the old\add* way, Moses wrote \add concerning people who obey God's\add* laws, “It is the people who have done \add perfectly\add* the things \add that the laws require\add* who will gain \add eternal\add* life by \add doing\add* them.”
|
||
\v 6 But those whose record of sins God has erased as a result of their believing \add in Christ\add* can say \add to anyone\add* [PRS] \add as Moses said\add*, “You should not \add critically\add* say inwardly, ‘◄Someone will have to go up and enter heaven!/Who will go up and enter heaven?►’ [RHQ]” That is to say, someone will have to \add go up and\add* bring Christ down \add to bring the message of salvation to us!\add*
|
||
\v 7 “Or \add you should not say inwardly\add*, ‘◄Someone will have to go down and enter the place where \add the spirits\add* of dead persons are!/Who will go down and enter the place where \add the spirits\add* of dead persons are?►’ [RHQ]” That is to say, someone will have to \add go down and\add* bring Christ up \add from there to bring the message of salvation to us. You should not say that because Christ has already come down to save us, and has already risen from the dead!\add*
|
||
\v 8 But instead, \add those who believe in Christ\add* [PRS] can say what [RHQ] \add Moses also said\add*, “You \add (sg)\add* can find out about \add God's\add* message very easily. You can speak [MTY] about it; you can think [MTY] about it.” This is the message that we proclaim, that people must believe \add in Christ\add*.
|
||
\v 9 \add This message is that\add* if anyone of you confesses/says publicly that Jesus is Lord, and if you \add (sg)\add* believe inwardly that God raised him ◄from the dead/after he died►, you will be saved {\add God\add* will save you}.
|
||
\v 10 If people believe inwardly \add that Christ died and that God caused him to become alive again\add* [CHI], the result is that \add God will erase the record of their sins\add*. And \add for\add* those who state/declare publicly \add that Jesus is their Lord\add*, the result is that \add God\add* will save them.
|
||
\v 11 \add It is written\add* {\add Isaiah wrote\add*} in the Scriptures [PRS] \add about the Messiah\add*, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”
|
||
\v 12 \add God\add* treats the Jews and the non-Jews similarly. Because he is the same Lord for all people \add who believe in him\add*, he abundantly \add blesses\add* all who ask him \add to help/save them\add*.
|
||
\v 13 This is \add just like what the prophet Joel wrote\add*: “All those who ask the Lord \add God\add* to save them will be saved {The Lord \add God\add* will save all those who ask him to save them}.”
|
||
\s1 There may be those who object by saying, “If God does not send someone to preach to the Jews, they cannot ask Christ to save them.” My reply to them is that God has sent people to preach about Christ to them, but most of the Jews have not accepted the gospel. However, some Jews do believe in Christ, and many other people are indeed hearing the message.
|
||
\sr Romans 10:14-17
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 14 \add In regard to the people of Israel rejecting the gospel, some people might object by saying\add*, (OR, \add This raises another problem about the Jews\add*:) “◄They certainly cannot ask \add Christ to help/save them\add* if they have not \add first\add* believed \add in him\add*!/How can they ask \add Christ to help/save them\add* if they have not \add first\add* believed \add in him\add*?► [RHQ] And ◄they certainly cannot believe \add in him\add* if they have not heard about him!/how can they believe \add in him\add* if they have not heard about him?► [RHQ] And ◄they certainly cannot hear \add about him\add* if someone does not preach to them \add about him\add*!/how can they hear \add about him\add* if someone does not preach to them \add about him\add*?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 15 And those who preach to them \add about Christ\add*, ◄certainly cannot preach if they are not sent \add by God\add* {if \add God\add* does not send them} \add to preach!\add*/how can they preach if they are not sent \add by God\add* {if \add God\add* does not send them} \add to preach\add*?► [RHQ] \add His sending messengers to them would be\add* just like it is written {like someone wrote} \add in the Scriptures\add*, ‘The arrival [MTY] of those who preach the good message is wonderful!’”
|
||
\v 16 \add I would reply in this way to people who say such things: God has indeed sent people to preach the message about Christ\add*. But not all \add the people of Israel\add* have paid attention to the good message! \add It is like what\add* Isaiah said \add when he felt very discouraged\add*, “Lord, ◄it seems as if hardly anyone believed what they heard us \add (exc)\add* preach!/has anyone believed what they heard us \add (exc)\add* preach?► [RHQ]”
|
||
\v 17 So then, \add I tell you that people\add* are believing \add in Christ\add* as a result of hearing \add the message about him\add*, and people are hearing \add the message\add* as a result of \add people\add* preaching \add about\add* Christ!
|
||
\s1 In reply to a query of whether the Jews have heard or understood about Christ, I would say that, as is supported by the Scriptures, they have heard it and should have understood it, because even the non-Jews, who were not searching for God, understood it.
|
||
\sr Romans 10:18-21
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 18 But \add if someone were to\add* ask, “Have not \add the people of Israel\add* heard \add the message about God?\add*” \add I would reply that they\add* certainly \add have heard!\add* It is like \add what is written in the Psalms\add*,
|
||
\q \add The people living\add* all over the world [PRS, MTY] \add have seen the stars\add*, and what they indicate \add about God's character has reached people living in\add* the most remote places in the world [DOU]!
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 19 But \add someone might ask\add*, “\add Is it true that the people of\add* [MTY] Israel understood \add the message about Christ\add*?” \add I would reply that certainly they understood it, but they rejected it! Remember that\add* Moses was the first \add one who warned the people of Israel about disobeying God. He told them that God said\add*,
|
||
\q \add You consider that\add* the non-Jewish groups are not nations at all [CHI]. But some of them \add will believe in me, and I will bless them\add*. Then you will envy them. I will cause you to be angry with those people whom \add you Jews think\add* do not understand \add my ways\add* [IRO].
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Remember also \add what God\add* said \add very\add* boldly to Isaiah:
|
||
\q The non-Jews who did not ◄try to know/seek► me will surely find me [DOU]!
|
||
\p
|
||
I will surely reveal what I am like to those who did not ask for me!
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 21 But concerning \add the people of\add* Israel, \add Isaiah\add* tells \add us that God said\add*:
|
||
\q I have for a long time held out my arms to the people who disobeyed and rebelled against me, \add in order\add* to invite them to return to me.
|
||
\c 11
|
||
\s1 God has certainly not rejected all Jews. I am evidence of that. Just like in the past, there is also at the present time a small group of us Jews who have become believers.
|
||
\sr Romans 11:1-6
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Because of that, \add if anyone should ask\add*, “Has God rejected his people \add the Jews?” I would declare that\add* he certainly has not \add rejected all of us! You can realize that by remembering that\add* I also belong to the \add people of\add* Israel. I am a descendant of Abraham, and I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, \add but God has not rejected me!\add*
|
||
\v 2 No, God has not rejected his people, whom he chose long ago \add to be people whom he would bless in a special way\add*. Remember [RHQ] what is written [PRS] in the Scriptures about Elijah when he \add mistakenly\add* complained to God about \add the people of\add* Israel, saying:
|
||
\v 3 “Lord, they have killed \add the rest of\add* your \add (sg)\add* prophets, they have destroyed your altars. I am the only one \add who believes in you\add* who remains \add alive\add*, and now they are trying to kill me!”
|
||
\v 4 God answered him like this: “\add You(sg) are not the only one who believes in me!\add* I have protected for myself \add not just you, but\add* 7,000 \add other\add* men who have not worshipped \add the false god\add* Baal. ◄Remember that!/Do you not remember that?► [RHQ]”
|
||
\v 5 So, similarly, there is also at this time a small group \add of us Jews\add* who have become \add believers. God\add* has chosen us \add to become believers\add* (OR, \add his people\add*) only because he acts kindly toward us, in ways that we do not deserve.
|
||
\v 6 Since it is because he acts kindly \add toward those whom he chooses, it is\add* not because they have done good things \add that he has chosen them\add*. If \add God chose people because they did good deeds\add*, then it would not be because he was acting toward them in a way that they did not deserve.
|
||
\s1 The Scriptures confirm that the people of Israel as a whole did not find the way of being declared righteous, although those whom God had chosen did find it.
|
||
\sr Romans 11:7-10
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 7 \add Since God chose only some people of Israel\add*, ◄\add this is what I conclude:/what shall we conclude\add*?► [RHQ] \add Most of the people of\add* Israel did not find \add the way for him to erase the record of their sins\add*, even though some of them were earnestly looking for it. The \add people of Israel whom God had\add* chosen found it, but the rest \add of them\add* were {\add God\add*} made spiritually insensitive/unresponsive.
|
||
\v 8 \add Our\add* fellow Jews are just like the \add ones\add* about whom Isaiah wrote,
|
||
\q God ◄caused their senses to be dull/made them unable to think clearly►. Up to this very day, \add they have\add* eyes but they cannot see \add spiritually\add* [MET]. \add They have\add* ears, but they cannot understand \add spiritually\add*.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 And \add they remind me of what King\add* David said, \add when he asked God to cause his enemies' senses to be dull\add* [MET],
|
||
\q \add Make them stupid\add* [MTY], \add like animals that are\add* caught in snares!
|
||
\q May they \add feel secure because of the things that they enjoy but which will catch them like a\add* trap [DOU, MET], with the result that you will destroy them.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 May their ability to perceive \add danger\add* be dulled {Dull their ability to perceive \add spiritually\add*} [MET], with the result that they will not \add become alarmed\add* [MET] \add when there is danger\add*.
|
||
\q May you cause them to carry heavy loads on their backs continually \add as slaves do\add* [MTY].
|
||
\s1 My reply to a query as to whether the result of the Jews' unbelief is a permanent falling away from God is, “No! God is saving many non-Jews to make the Jews envious and thus seek to be saved.”
|
||
\sr Romans 11:11-12
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 11 \add Perhaps someone will ask\add*, “\add When the Jews\add* sinned \add by not believing in Christ, did\add* it result in their separating themselves from God \add permanently?\add*” Then I \add would reply\add*, \add No\add*, they have certainly not \add separated themselves from God permanently!\add* What is happening is that because they sinned, \add God\add* is saving non-Jews in order to cause \add the Jews\add* to envy \add the way he blesses non-Jews and so ask Christ to save them\add*.
|
||
\v 12 \add When the Jews\add* sinned (OR, rejected Christ), \add the result was that God\add* abundantly \add blessed the other people in\add* [MTY] the world by \add offering them the opportunity to believe\add*. And \add when the Jews\add* failed \add spiritually, the result was that God\add* abundantly \add blessed\add* the non-Jews. Since that is true, think how wonderful it will be when the complete number \add of the Jews whom God has chosen will believe in Christ\add* [RHQ]!
|
||
\s1 I highly esteem the work that God has called me to do as an apostle among you non-Jews. I hope that I will make my fellow Jews jealous, and as a result, some of them will be saved.
|
||
\sr Romans 11:13-16
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 13 Now it is to you non-Jews that I am saying \add what follows\add*. I am the one who is the apostle to non-Jews, and I highly esteem this work \add that God appointed\add* me to do.
|
||
\v 14 But I also hope that \add by my labors\add* I will make my fellow Jews ◄jealous/want what you non-Jews have►, \add with the result that\add* some of them will \add believe and thus\add* be saved.
|
||
\v 15 \add God\add* has rejected \add most of my fellow Jews because they refused to believe, with the result that\add* he reconciled \add many other people in\add* the world [MTY] \add to himself\add*. But he will accept \add my fellow Jews again when they trust in Christ!\add* And ◄this is what the result will be./do you know what the result will be?► [RHQ] It will be \add as though God is making them\add* alive again after they have been dead!
|
||
\v 16 \add Just like\add* the whole lump \add of dough\add* will belong to God if \add people offer\add* to God [MET] the \add bread baked from\add* the first part \add of it\add* [MET], \add so the Jews will belong to God because their ancestors belonged to God\add*. And just like the branches \add of a tree\add* will be good if the root is good [MET], \add so the descendants of our great Jewish ancestors who belonged to God will also some day belong to God\add*.
|
||
\s1 You non-Jews who trust in Jesus must not despise the Jews whom God has rejected. You must not become proud, but instead beware. God will not spare you if you fall away from him, and he will certainly act kindly toward the Jews if they trust in Christ.
|
||
\sr Romans 11:17-24
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 17 \add God has rejected\add* many of \add the Jews\add* [MET], \add like\add* branches \add of a tree\add* are broken off {\add like people\add* break off \add dead\add* branches \add of a tree\add*}. And each of you \add non-Jews whom God has accepted is like\add* [MET] \add a branch of\add* a wild/uncultivated olive tree \add that\add* was {\add that someone\add*} grafted among the branches (OR, onto one of the branches) \add that were left on a cultivated olive tree\add*. \add God has caused\add* you \add to benefit from how he blessed our(exc) first Jewish ancestors, as branches\add* benefit from the nutritious sap from the root of a \add cultivated\add* olive tree [MET].
|
||
\v 18 However, you \add non-Jews\add* must not despise \add the Jews whom God rejected\add* [MET], \add who are like\add* the branches that \add were broken off from the tree\add* If any of you \add wants to\add* boast \add about having received blessings from God\add*, \add remember this: Branches\add* do not nourish a root. Instead the root nourishes \add the branches\add* [MET]. \add Similarly, you are blessed by God because of what\add* you \add have received from the Jews! It is not what the Jews have received from\add* you \add that blesses them\add* [MET]!
|
||
\v 19 If one of you then says, “\add God rejected the Jews\add* [MET] \add like\add* branches [MET] that are broken {that people broke} off \add a tree and rejected\add*, in order that \add he might accept us non-Jews, as\add* branches [MET] of a tree are grafted in {\add as people\add* graft in branches of a tree},”
|
||
\v 20 \add I would reply that\add* this is true. However, it is because the Jews did not believe \add in Christ\add* that they were rejected [MET] {that \add God\add* rejected [MET] them}. As for you, it is \add only\add* because you believe \add in Christ\add* that \add God has accepted\add* you! \add So\add* do not \add any of you\add* become proud, but instead beware \add of what could happen to you\add*
|
||
\v 21 Since God did not spare \add the unbelieving Jews\add* [MET] \add who were like a tree's\add* natural branches, he will not spare any of you \add if you do\add* not \add keep trusting in him!\add*
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 22 Note then, that God acts kindly, but he also acts severely. He has acted severely toward \add the Jews\add* who have stopped ◄trusting in/obeying► him. On the other hand, he acts kindly toward each of you \add non-Jews only\add* if you continue \add to appreciate his acting\add* kindly \add toward you\add*. However, you will be rejected {\add he\add* will reject you} if you do not \add keep trusting in him\add*.
|
||
\v 23 And if the Jews believe \add in Christ\add* [LIT], God also will \add reunite them to himself as\add* branches are grafted {\add as people\add* graft branches} into \add a tree again\add*, because God is able to do that.
|
||
\v 24 Each of you \add non-Jews who were previously separated from God has benefited from the ways in which God blessed the Jews\add* [MET]. \add That is like taking branches\add* that have been cut {that someone has cut} from a wild olive tree that just grew \add without being planted\add* {\add someone planting it\add*} and, contrary to what people usually do, grafting them into a cultivated olive tree. So God will much more readily \add receive back the Jews because they belonged to him before\add* [MET]! \add That will be like\add* the original branches \add that had been cut off\add* being grafted {like grafting the original branches \add that someone cut off\add*,} back into the olive tree to which they \add originally belonged.\add*
|
||
\s1 I want you to know that all the people of Israel will some day be saved, as the Scriptures say will happen. God still loves them because of their ancestors. It is his purpose to act mercifully towards them as well as toward all non-Jews.
|
||
\sr Romans 11:25-33
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 25 My \add non-Jewish\add* fellow believers, I certainly want you to understand [LIT] this truth that God has now revealed \add about my fellow Jews who are refusing to believe\add*. You should not proudly think \add that\add* God \add now favors you\add* more \add than the Jews\add* (OR, \add that you understand God's further plans for the Jews\add*). Many \add people of\add* Israel will continue to be stubborn until all the non-Jews \add whom God has chosen have believed in Jesus\add*.
|
||
\v 26 And then all [HYP] \add the people of\add* Israel will be saved {\add God\add* will save all [HYP] \add the people of\add* Israel}. Then these words that are written {that \add a prophet\add* wrote} \add in the Scriptures will\add* ◄\add become true/be fulfilled\add*►:
|
||
\p The one who sets \add his people\add* free will originate from \add the place where\add* God dwells (OR, from the Jews) [MTY]. Then he will remove the guilt of the Israelite people (OR, descendants of Jacob) [MTY].
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 27 And \add as God says\add*,
|
||
\p The contract that I will make with them is that I will forgive their sins.
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 28 With regard to \add the Jews rejecting\add* the good message \add about Christ, God treats\add* them as enemies, which has benefited you \add non-Jews\add*. But in regard to \add their being the people whom God\add* chose, \add God still\add* loves them because of \add what he promised\add* their ancestors.
|
||
\v 29 \add He still loves them\add*, because he never changed his mind about the privileges/blessings he \add gave to them\add* and about his choosing \add them to be his people\add*.
|
||
\v 30 You \add non-Jews\add* once disobeyed God, but now he has acted mercifully towards you because the \add Jews\add* disobeyed him.
|
||
\v 31 Similarly, now they have disobeyed God. The result is that by the very same way in which he acted mercifully towards you, he will act mercifully towards them \add again\add*.
|
||
\v 32 God has declared and proved that all people, \add both Jews and non-Jews\add* [MET], disobey ◄\add him/his laws\add*►. He has declared that because he wants to act mercifully towards us all.
|
||
\s1 I marvel at how great God's wisdom and knowledge are, and his decisions and actions toward us!
|
||
\sr Romans 11:33-36
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 33 \add I marvel how\add* vast and great are the wise things that God \add has done\add* and what he has \add always\add* known [DOU]! We are completely unable to understand the things that he has decided and the ways \add in which he acts toward us\add* [DOU]!
|
||
\v 34 \add I remember the Scriptures that say\add*,
|
||
\q ◄No one has known what the Lord thinks./Who has known what the Lord thinks?► [RHQ] ◄Absolutely no one has given him advice \add about what he should do!\add*/Who has advised him \add about what he should do\add*?► [RHQ]
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 35 And,
|
||
\q ◄No one has given anything to God that \add he did not previously receive from God!\add*/Has anyone given anything to God that \add he did not previously receive from God\add*?► [RHQ] So God ◄is not obligated to/does not have to► pay back anything to anyone!
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 36 God \add is the one who created\add* all things. He is also the one who \add sustains all things\add*. The reason that he created them was that \add everything he created might praise\add* him. May \add all people\add* honor him forever! ◄May it be so!/Amen!►
|
||
\c 12
|
||
\s1 I appeal to you that you present yourselves to God by making yourselves like living sacrifices, which is the appropriate way to serve him. Do not let anything non-Christian determine how you act, but instead let God change your way of thinking.
|
||
\sr Romans 12:1-2
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 My fellow believers, since God has acted mercifully \add toward you\add* in so many ways, I appeal to \add all of\add* you that you present yourselves [SYN] \add to him by making yourselves like\add* holy sacrifices [MET]. \add Make yourselves sacrifices\add* that he is pleased with, sacrifices that are living/alive, \add not ones that are dead/killed. Since God has done so much for you/us\add*, this is the \add only\add* appropriate way to serve him.
|
||
\v 2 Do not let anything non-Christian determine how you should act. Instead, let God change your \add way of life\add* by making your way of thinking new, in order that you may know what he wants you to do. That is, you will know what is good, and you will know what pleases \add God\add*, and you will know how to be all that he wants you to be.
|
||
\s1 Do not think about yourselves more highly than you should. Instead, think about yourselves sensibly, in a way that corresponds to the abilities that God has given to you because you trust in Christ. May we do diligently and cheerfully what God has given us ability to do.
|
||
\sr Romans 12:3-8
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 3 Because God has kindly appointed me \add to be his apostle\add*, which I did not deserve, I say this to every one of you: Do not let what you think about yourselves exceed what is right for you to think! Instead, think \add about yourselves\add* in a sensible way that \add corresponds to the abilities\add* that God has given you \add because\add* you trust \add in Christ\add*.
|
||
\v 4 Although a person has one body, it consists of many parts. All of the parts are needed for \add the body\add*, but they do not all function the same way.
|
||
\v 5 Similarly we, \add although we are\add* many, are \add united into\add* one group because of our relationship with Christ, and we belong to one another. \add So no one should act as though he\add* needed by God more \add than the others!\add*
|
||
\v 6 \add Instead\add*, since each one of us can do various things that differ according to the abilities that \add God has\add* given to us, \add we should do them diligently and cheerfully!\add* Those whom \add God has enabled\add* to speak messages from him \add should speak\add* what corresponds to what they believe \add God told them\add*.
|
||
\v 7 \add Those whom God has enabled\add* to serve \add others\add* should do that. \add Those whom God has enabled\add* to teach \add his truth\add* should do that.
|
||
\v 8 Those \add whom God has enabled to\add* encourage/exhort \add his people\add* should do that. Those who share \add their goods/money with others\add* should do it sincerely/generously. Those who govern ◄\add the congregation/others\add*► should do it wholeheartedly. Those who help the needy should do it cheerfully.
|
||
\s1 Love others sincerely in the various ways in which you act toward them.
|
||
\sr Romans 12:9-18
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 9 \add The way you must love people is to\add* love them sincerely! Hate what is evil! Continue to eagerly do what \add God considers to be\add* good!
|
||
\v 10 Love one another as members of the same family do; and in regard to honoring one another, you should be ◄the first ones/eager► to do it!
|
||
\v 11 Do not be lazy. \add Instead\add*, be eager \add to serve God! Be enthusiastic as\add* you serve the Lord!
|
||
\v 12 Rejoice because you are confidently awaiting \add what God will do for you!\add* When you suffer, be patient! Keep praying and never give up!
|
||
\v 13 If any of God's people lacks anything, share with them \add what you have!\add* Readily take care of \add travelers who need a place to stay\add*
|
||
\v 14 \add Ask God to\add* be kind to those who ◄persecute you/cause you to suffer► \add because you believe in Jesus! Ask him to\add* be kind to them; do not \add ask him to\add* cause bad things to happen to them.
|
||
\v 15 If someone is joyful, you should rejoice also! If someone is sad, you should also be sad!
|
||
\v 16 Desire for others what you desire for yourselves (OR, Live harmoniously with each other)! Do not do things because you want to be \add famous!\add* Instead, be content to do \add tasks that others consider that only\add* unimportant people do (OR, \add to associate with unimportant\add* people). Do not consider yourselves wise.
|
||
\v 17 Do not do evil \add deeds\add* to anyone \add who has done\add* evil to you. Act in a way that all people will recognize as good!
|
||
\v 18 Live peacefully with other people whenever it is possible, to the extent that you \add can control the situation\add*.
|
||
\s1 Instead of avenging yourselves, allow God to avenge you; and instead of being overcome by evil done to you, overcome evil deeds by doing good to those who do evil to you, because this is what the Scriptures command.
|
||
\sr Romans 12:19-21
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 19 \add My fellow believers\add* whom I love, do not do evil in return when people do evil to you! Instead, allow \add God\add* to punish them [MTY], because it is {someone has} written \add in the Scriptures that\add* the Lord \add said\add*, “‘It is my responsibility to take revenge; I am the one who will punish \add people who do evil to you\add* [DOU],’ says the Lord.”
|
||
\v 20 Instead of \add doing evil to those who have done evil to you\add*, \add do as the Scriptures teach\add*: “If your \add (sg)\add* enemies are hungry, feed them! If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing that, you \add (sg)\add* will cause them to feel ashamed \add and perhaps they will change their attitude toward you\add* [IDM].”
|
||
\v 21 Do not let evil \add deeds that others have done to you\add* overcome you \add (sg) by making you do evil to them!\add* [PRS] Instead, overcome their evil \add deeds\add* by \add doing\add* good \add deeds to them.\add*
|
||
\c 13
|
||
\s1 Be subject to civil authorities, because those who oppose them oppose what God has established and will bring punishment on themselves. Do what is good and then they will commend you. Give to all the authorities what you are obligated to give to them.
|
||
\sr Romans 13:1-7
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Every \add believer\add* must be subject to civil officials. \add Remember that\add* God is the only one \add who gives officials their\add* authority. Furthermore, those officials that exist are ones who have been appointed by God {God has appointed}.
|
||
\v 2 So whoever resists the officials is resisting what God has established. Furthermore, those who resist officials will bring on themselves \add from the officials\add* the punishment \add that God considers fitting\add*.
|
||
\v 3 What rulers \add do\add* is not \add to cause people who\add* do good deeds to be afraid. Instead, \add what they do is to cause people who do\add* evil to be afraid. So, if any of you [RHQ] wants to be unafraid of officials, do what is good! \add If you(sg) do good\add*, they will commend you \add instead of punishing you!\add*
|
||
\v 4 It is in order to serve God \add by doing their work that every official exists\add*, in order that they may benefit each of you. If any of you does what is evil, you \add (sg) will rightfully have reason to\add* be afraid, because the authority that they have to punish people [MTY] is very real [LIT]! The officials exist to serve God. That is, they act as God's agents as they punish those who do evil.
|
||
\v 5 So, it is necessary for you \add (pl)\add* to be subject \add to officials\add*, not only because they will punish you [MTY] \add if you disobey them\add*, but also because you know within yourselves \add that you should be subject to them\add*
|
||
\v 6 It is for this reason that you also pay taxes, because the officials are ones who serve God as they continually do their work.
|
||
\v 7 Give to all \add the officials\add* what you are supposed to give to them! Pay taxes to \add those who require that you pay taxes\add*. Pay duties \add on goods to those who require that you pay those\add* duties. Respect \add those who ought to\add* be respected. Honor \add those who ought to\add* be honored.
|
||
\s1 Do not leave any debt unpaid. Your only continual obligation is to love one another, because doing so fulfills all that God's law requires.
|
||
\sr Romans 13:8-10
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 8 Pay all of your debts \add when you are supposed to pay them\add*. The only thing \add that is like\add* a debt that \add you\add* should never stop paying is to love one another. Whoever loves others has fulfilled all that \add God requires in\add* his laws.
|
||
\v 9 \add There are many things that God\add* commanded \add in his laws, such as\add* do not commit adultery, do not murder \add anyone\add*, do not steal, and do not desire anything that belongs to someone else. But the command by which they are all summed up {that includes them all} is this: Each of you must love the people with whom you come in contact, just like you \add (sg)\add* love yourself.
|
||
\v 10 If you love people with whom you come in contact [PRS], you will not do any evil to them [LIT]. So, whoever loves \add others\add* fulfills all that \add God's\add* laws \add require\add*.
|
||
\s1 Because it is time for us to be fully alert and active, we must quit doing wicked deeds. We must do those things that will help us resist that which is evil, we must live properly, and we must be like Christ.
|
||
\sr Romans 13:11-14
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 11 \add Do\add* what I have just told you, especially since you know \add the significance of\add* the time \add in which we are living. You know that it is\add* time for you to be \add fully alert and active\add* [MET], \add like people who have\add* awakened from sleeping [MET], because \add the time when Christ will finally\add* deliver us \add from this world's pain/sin and sorrow\add* is near. That time ◄is closer than/was not so close► when we first believed \add in Christ\add*.
|
||
\v 12 \add Our time to live in this world\add* [MTY] \add is almost ended\add* [MET], \add like\add* a night that is nearly ended. The time \add when Christ will return\add* [MTY] is near. So we must quit doing wicked deeds [MET] \add such as people do\add* in the darkness, and \add we must be doing the things that will help us resist Satan/evil\add* [MET], \add as soldiers who\add* put on their armor in the daytime \add get ready to resist their enemies\add*.
|
||
\v 13 We must behave properly, as though the time \add when Christ will return\add* [MTY] \add were already here\add*. We must not participate in drunken carousing [HEN]. We must not commit any kind of sexual immorality [MTY, DOU]. We must not quarrel. We must not be jealous \add of other people\add*.
|
||
\v 14 On the contrary, you/we should \add be like\add* the Lord Jesus Christ \add so that others will see what he is like\add*, just as \add people\add* put on \add special clothes so that others will see what group they belong to\add* [MET]. You/We should stop thinking about \add doing the things that your/our\add* self-directed nature desires.
|
||
\c 14
|
||
\s1 Accept those who are not sure whether they are permitted to do certain things. Anyone who thinks that it is all right to eat all kinds of food must not despise those who do not think that, and those who do not think that it is all right to eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, because God has accepted them.
|
||
\sr Romans 14:1-4
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Accept those who are not sure \add whether God will permit them to do certain things some people think are wrong\add*. But \add when you accept them\add*, do not argue with them about what they think/their opinions.
|
||
\v 2 Some people believe that they may eat all \add kinds of food\add*. Others believe \add that God does not want them to eat certain things, so they\add* believe that they may not eat meat.
|
||
\v 3 Anyone who \add thinks that it is all right to\add* eat \add all kinds of food\add* must not despise those who \add think it is\add* not \add all right to\add* eat \add all kinds of food\add*. Anyone who \add thinks it is\add* not \add all right to\add* eat \add all kinds of food\add* must not ◄condemn/say that \add God\add* will punish► those who \add think that it is all right to\add* eat \add all kinds of food\add*, because God himself has accepted those people.
|
||
\v 4 \add God is the master of us all, so\add* ◄\add he is the one who will decide whether those people have done wrong!/who are you to decide whether they have done wrong\add*?► [RHQ] \add Therefore\add*, you have no right [RHQ] to condemn those who eat everything, because they are \add also God's servants! And just like\add* it is the servants' own master who accepts or condemns [MTY] his servants, \add it is God who accepts or condemns us\add*. And \add believers\add* will be accepted \add by\add* the Lord {\add the Lord\add* will accept \add believers\add*} \add regardless of whether they eat meat or not\add*, because he is able to keep them \add trusting in him\add*.
|
||
\s1 Each person should be fully convinced about observing special days, thinking and deciding for himself and not for others. We should try to please God by everything we do.
|
||
\sr Romans 14:5-9
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 5 Some people regard certain days as \add holy\add* and think that the other \add days\add* are not \add holy\add*. Other people regard all days as \add equally suitable for worshipping God\add*. Each person should be ◄fully convinced/sure► \add about such matters\add*, thinking and deciding for himself \add and not for others\add*.
|
||
\v 6 As for those who believe that they should worship on \add a certain\add* day \add of the week\add*, it is to \add honor\add* the Lord \add that they worship on that day\add*. And as for those who \add think that it is all right to\add* eat \add all kinds of food\add*, it is to \add honor\add* the Lord \add that they eat those foods\add*, as is clear from their thanking God \add for the food that they eat\add*. As for those who abstain from \add eating certain kinds of\add* food, it is to \add honor\add* the Lord that they do not eat \add those foods\add*, and they also thank God \add for the food that they do eat. So doing either of those things is not wrong in itself\add*.
|
||
\v 7 None of us should live \add merely\add* to \add please\add* ourselves, and none of us \add should choose when or how we will\add* die, \add merely\add* to \add please\add* ourselves.
|
||
\v 8 While we live, it is the Lord whom we belong to \add and should be trying to please, and not just ourselves\add*. And when we die, it is the Lord whom we should \add be trying to please\add*. So, while we live and also when we die, we should be trying to please the Lord to whom we belong, \add not just ourselves\add*,
|
||
\v 9 because the very purpose for which Christ died and became alive again is that he might be Lord whom all people should try to please, both of those who have already died and of those who are still living.
|
||
\s1 You should neither condemn nor despise your fellow believers who believe differently about religious regulations than you do, because it is God who will say whether he approves of what we have done.
|
||
\sr Romans 14:10-12
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 10 ◄It is disgraceful that you \add who practice certain religious regulations\add* say that God will punish your fellow believers \add who do not practice those regulations\add*!/Why do you \add who practice certain religious regulations\add* say God will punish your fellow believers \add who do not practice such regulations\add*?► [RHQ] \add I say this because the time will come when\add* all of us will stand before God in order that he will say whether or not he approves [MTY] \add of what we have done\add*. So you \add who do not practice such regulations\add*, ◄should not despise your fellow believers \add who practice them\add*!/why do you despise your fellow believers \add who practice them\add*?► [RHQ]
|
||
\v 11 \add We know this\add* because it is written {\add a prophet/Isaiah\add* wrote} \add what God has said\add*:
|
||
\q Everyone will bow down before me! That is as \add certain as the fact that\add* I live [IDM]! Everyone [SYN] will acknowledge \add that because I am\add* God, I have the \add right to judge and punish people.\add*
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 12 So \add it is clear that\add* it is God who will decide \add whether or not he approves of\add* what each of us has done.
|
||
\s1 Instead of condemning each other, decide not to do anything that might lead your fellow believer to sin by following your example and which would then cause others to speak evil of you.
|
||
\sr Romans 14:13-18
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 13 Since \add it is God who will judge everyone\add*, we must stop saying that \add God should\add* punish some of our fellow believers! Instead, you/we should decide that you/we will not do anything that would \add be an example that might cause\add* fellow believers to stop trusting in God [DOU].
|
||
\v 14 I am absolutely certain [DOU] because of \add my close relationship with\add* (OR, \add my belonging to\add*) the Lord Jesus that there is nothing that by itself is wrong \add to eat\add*. But if people think it is wrong to eat something, then to them it is wrong to eat it. \add So you should not encourage them to eat it\add*.
|
||
\v 15 If you \add eat\add* food [MET] that anyone for whom Christ died \add thinks that it is wrong to eat, that person might be encouraged\add* {\add you might be encouraging that person\add*} \add to do something that he believes is wrong. As a result, you might cause that\add* fellow believer \add to stop trusting in God\add*. He would thus be ruined \add spiritually\add* just because you have stopped behaving as one who loves \add others should behave!\add*
|
||
\v 16 Similarly, do not \add do something that you think is\add* good if, \add as a result, your fellow believer would sin and then\add* others would speak evil \add of you who say that you are Christians\add*.
|
||
\v 17 Letting God rule our lives [MET] does not mean \add that we must obey regulations about\add* eating or drinking \add something!\add* Instead, \add it means we must\add* live righteously, \add act\add* peacefully \add towards others\add*, and be joyful by \add the power of\add* the Holy Spirit.
|
||
\v 18 Those who serve Christ \add by acting\add* in such ways please God, and others will also respect them.
|
||
\s1 Try to do what will help fellow believers to be at peace with each other and to grow spiritually. Do not destroy what God has done in others' lives as a result of your eating certain things.
|
||
\sr Romans 14:19-23
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 19 So we should always eagerly try to \add live in a way that will cause\add* peace \add among fellow Christians\add*, and we should try to do what will help each other to mature \add spiritually\add*.
|
||
\v 20 Do not destroy what God has done \add in the life of any believer\add* just because of \add your eating certain kinds of\add* food [MET] \add which that person considers wrong to eat! God\add* permits us to eat every \add kind of food\add*. But if, by your eating \add certain kinds of food\add*, you encourage another person to sin \add by doing what he believes is wrong\add*, you are doing wrong.
|
||
\v 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor to drink wine, nor \add to do anything else at any time if it\add* will cause one of your fellow believers to stop trusting in God.
|
||
\v 22 Let God tell you \add what things are right for you to do, but do not try to force others to accept what you believe. God is\add* pleased with those who do what they know is right and as a result do not feel guilty \add concerning what they have done\add*, \add because they have done only\add* those things that they believe are right.
|
||
\v 23 But some believers are not certain \add that God will approve of their eating a certain kind of food\add*. So if they eat it, \add they think that God will punish\add* them. And they \add truly\add* will be punished {\add God truly\add* will punish them}, because \add they have done things that they\add* believe \add are not right\add*. Those who do anything without being certain \add that God considers it to be right\add* are sinning.
|
||
\c 15
|
||
\s1 We should not be irritated by the practices of those who are uncertain whether God will condemn them for doing certain things that the Mosaic laws forbid. Instead, we should do things that please our fellow Christians, because Christ has set us an example.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:1-4
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 Most of us are sure \add that God will not punish us for doing certain things that the laws and rituals God gave Moses said the Jews should not do. But we\add* should be patient with those who are uncertain \add about such things\add*, and we should not let them irritate us. We should not \add simply\add* please ourselves.
|
||
\v 2 Each of us should \add do the things that\add* please the fellow \add believers with whom we come in contact, and things that will\add* benefit them. \add We should do those things\add* in order to help them mature \add spiritually\add*.
|
||
\v 3 \add We should please our fellow believers\add*, since Christ \add has set us an example\add*. He did not \add do things to\add* please himself. On the contrary, \add he tried to please God even when others insulted him. That was\add* as it is written {as ◄\add someone/the Psalmist\add*► wrote} \add in Scripture that the Messiah said to God\add*: “When people insulted you \add (sg)\add*, \add it was as though\add* they were also insulting me.”
|
||
\v 4 And \add you need to remember that\add* what was written previously {what \add God's servants\add* previously wrote} \add in the Scriptures\add*, was written {\add they\add* wrote} to teach us in order that we would be patient and be encouraged \add by reading/believing what\add* they wrote. If we do that, we can confidently expect \add God to do for us all he has promised\add*.
|
||
\s1 May God enable you all to live harmoniously with each other.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:5-6
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 5 God is the one who enables us to be patient and who encourages us. ◄\add Ask/Pray to\add*► \add him that he would\add* enable you \add all\add* to live harmoniously with each other, doing as Christ Jesus \add did\add*.
|
||
\v 6 Then, as you are united in what you think and say [MTY], you will praise God, \add who is the heavenly\add* father [MET] of our Lord Jesus Christ.
|
||
\s1 Accept each other as Christ has accepted you, remembering that what Christ has done was both to help the Jews and to cause non-Jews to praise God.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:7-12
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 7 So \add I say to all of you believers at Rome\add*, accept each other. \add If you do that\add*, people will praise God \add as they see you thus behaving like Christ. Accept each other\add* just like Christ accepted you!
|
||
\v 8 I want \add you to remember\add* that Christ \add helped us\add* Jews [MTY] by what he did, in order to show that God ◄is faithful/does what he says he will do►. That is, \add his coming as our Messiah\add* fulfilled what God promised to \add our Jewish\add* ancestors.
|
||
\v 9 And \add by acting mercifully to them, he also caused\add* the non-Jews to praise him. \add What he has done for the non-Jews\add* fulfills what is written \add in the Scriptures that David said to God\add*: “So I will praise you \add (sg) when I am\add* among the non-Jews, and I will sing to you [MTY].”
|
||
\v 10 \add David\add* also wrote, “Rejoice, you non-Jews, with us who are God's people.”
|
||
\v 11 \add And Moses wrote in\add* the \add Scriptures\add*, “Praise the Lord, all \add you\add* non-Jews, and may everyone praise him [DOU].”
|
||
\v 12 And Isaiah wrote \add in the Scriptures\add*, “There will be a descendant [MET] of \add King\add* David who will begin to rule the non-Jews. They will confidently expect him \add to fulfill what he has promised\add*.”
|
||
\s1 May God make you completely joyful and peaceful in order that you may have abundant hope.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:13
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 13 God is the one who causes you to be confidently expecting \add him to do what he has promised. I pray/ask\add* that he will cause you to be completely joyful and peaceful as you trust \add in him\add*. As you do that, the Holy Spirit will enable you to more and more confidently expect \add to receive what God has promised you\add*.
|
||
\s1 I have written frankly to you in this letter because of what God has kindly commissioned me to do among the non-Jews.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:14-16
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 14 My fellow believers, I myself am \add completely\add* sure about you that you yourselves \add have acted toward others\add* in a completely good way. You have done that because you have known completely \add all that God wants you to know\add* [HYP] and because you are able to teach each other.
|
||
\v 15 However, I have written to you quite frankly \add in this letter\add* about some things in order to remind you \add about those things\add*. \add I have written this\add* because I have been appointed by God {God has \add appointed\add* me}, which I did not deserve,
|
||
\v 16 in order that I would work for Jesus Christ among the non-Jews. \add God has appointed me\add* to act like a priest as I \add proclaim\add* his good message in order that he will accept the non-Jews \add who believe in Christ. They will be\add* like an offering [MET] \add to God\add* as a result of their being dedicated \add to him\add* by the Holy Spirit {the Holy Spirit dedicating them \add to God\add*}.
|
||
\s1 I am happy about my work for God that I have now completed in this region by proclaiming the gospel in places where people have not heard about Christ.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:17-21
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 17 It follows that, because \add of my relationship with\add* (OR, because \add I belong to\add*) Christ Jesus, I am happy about \add my work for\add* God.
|
||
\v 18 I will speak boldly only [LIT] about the work that Christ has enabled me to do. \add I do that work\add* in order that non-Jews might pay attention to \add the message about Christ\add* as a result of what I have said and done,
|
||
\v 19 specifically, by \add my performing\add* many powerful miracles [DOU]. \add I have done those things\add* as a result of \add God's\add* Spirit powerfully \add enabling me\add*. As a result \add of doing those things, while traveling\add* all the way around from Jerusalem to Illyricum \add province\add*, I have completed \add my work\add* of proclaiming the message about Christ \add in those places\add*.
|
||
\v 20 As \add I proclaim\add* that message, I am always eagerly trying to proclaim it \add in places\add* where people have not already heard about Christ. I do that in order that \add as I work for God\add* I might not \add be continuing the work for him that someone else already started\add* [MET]. \add I do not want to be like a man who\add* builds \add a house\add* on someone else's foundation.
|
||
\v 21 On the contrary, \add I teach non-Jews, so that what happens may be like\add* what was written {the prophet Isaiah wrote} \add in the Scriptures about the Messiah\add*: “Those who did not hear about him previously will perceive \add his truth\add*. Truly, those who have not heard \add about him will hear and\add* understand \add his message\add* [DOU].”
|
||
\s1 Because of this work, I have often been hindered from visiting you, but I hope to see you as I journey through your area and I hope that you will give me what I need for my next journey. But now I am about to go to Jerusalem to take funds to God's people there. So later I will visit you in Rome, and I know that Christ will bless us there.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:22-29
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 22 Because \add I have attempted to preach the message about Christ in places where they have not heard about him\add*, I have been hindered {things have hindered me} many times \add from being able\add* to visit you.
|
||
\v 23 But now there are no more places in these regions \add where people have not heard about Christ\add*. Furthermore, for several years I have wanted to visit you.
|
||
\v 24 \add So I hope to go/come to see you\add*. I hope to do that as soon as I am on my way to \add the provinces in\add* Spain. I hope to see you as I journey through \add your area\add*, and I hope that \add by whatever you give me\add* [EUP] you will help me on my journey to Spain. But before \add I go there\add*, I want to enjoy being with you for a little while, although \add I would like to stay with you longer\add*.
|
||
\v 25 But \add I cannot visit you\add* now, because I am about to go to Jerusalem in order to take money [EUP] for God's people \add there\add*.
|
||
\v 26 \add The believers in\add* Macedonia and Achaia \add provinces\add* [MTY] decided to contribute some \add money\add* [EUP] for those of God's people in Jerusalem who are poor.
|
||
\v 27 They themselves decided \add to do this, but\add* truly they owe something to God's people in Jerusalem. The non-Jewish \add believers\add* benefited spiritually from Jewish \add believers as a result of hearing the message about Christ from them\add*, so the non-Jews should also help the Jewish believers \add in Jerusalem by giving them\add* material things (OR, money) [EUP].
|
||
\v 28 So when I have finished this \add task\add* by safely delivering all this money [MET, EUP] \add that the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have given\add*, I will leave \add Jerusalem and visit\add* you \add in Rome while I am\add* on my way to Spain.
|
||
\v 29 And I know that when I visit you, Christ will abundantly bless \add us\add* (OR, enable \add me\add* to bless \add you\add*).
|
||
\s1 I urge you to pray fervently that God will protect me from the unbelieving Jews in Judea and that God's people there will accept the money that I take to them, and also that I may be refreshed by visiting you. May God be with you all.
|
||
\sr Romans 15:30-33
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 30 Because \add we belong to\add* our Lord Jesus Christ and because the Spirit \add of God causes us to\add* love \add each other\add*, I urge you \add all\add* that \add you help me\add* by fervently/intensely praying to God for me.
|
||
\v 31 \add Pray that\add* I will be protected {\add that God\add* will protect me} so that the \add Jews\add* in Judea who do not believe \add the message about Christ will not harm me\add*. Also pray that God's people in Jerusalem will accept the money [EUP] that I \add take\add* to them.
|
||
\v 32 Pray these things in order that I may go/come to you if God wants me to go/come, and that I may come joyfully, and that then God will refresh my \add spirit as a result of my visiting/being\add* with you.
|
||
\v 33 \add I pray that\add* God, who \add causes us to have inner\add* peace, will be with all of you \add and will help\add* you. ◄May it be so!/Amen!►
|
||
\c 16
|
||
\s1 I am introducing and commending Phoebe to you, and I ask that you receive her as a fellow believer and that you give her whatever she needs.
|
||
\sr Romans 16:1-2
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 \add By means of this letter\add* I am introducing and recommending to you our fellow believer Phoebe, who will be taking this letter to you. She is a deacon in the congregation in Cenchrea \add city\add*.
|
||
\v 2 \add I request that\add* you receive her because of her relationship with the Lord. \add You should do that because\add* those who are God's people ought to receive \add their fellow believers\add*. \add I am also requesting\add* that you help her \add by giving her\add* [EUP] whatever she needs, because she has helped many people, including me.
|
||
\s1 I send my greetings to many individuals among the believers there. All the congregations in this area also send their greetings to you.
|
||
\sr Romans 16:3-16
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 3 Tell Priscilla and \add her husband\add* Aquila that I ◄send greetings to/am thinking fondly of► them. They worked with me for Christ Jesus,
|
||
\v 4 and they were even willing to die [IDM] in order \add to save\add* my life. It is not only I who thank them \add for helping me\add*, but the people in all [HYP] the non-Jewish congregations also \add thank them for saving my life\add*.
|
||
\v 5 Also tell the congregation \add that meets\add* in their house that I ◄send my greetings to/am thinking fondly of► them. Tell my dear friend Epaenetus the same thing. He is the first man in Asia \add province\add* who \add believed\add* in Christ.
|
||
\v 6 Tell Mary, who has worked hard \add for Christ\add* in order to \add help\add* you, that I ◄send my greetings to/am thinking fondly of► her.
|
||
\v 7 Tell the same thing to Andronicus and \add his wife\add* Junia (OR, and \add his sister\add* Junia) who are my fellow Jews and who were also \add previously\add* in prison with me. They are well-known/respected (OR, respected by the) apostles, and they became Christians before I did.
|
||
\v 8 I also send my greetings to Ampliatus, who is a dear friend because of his relationship with the Lord.
|
||
\v 9 I also send my greetings to Urbanus, who works for Christ with us, and to my dear friend Stachys.
|
||
\v 10 I also send my greetings to Apelles, whom Christ has approved \add because Apelles successfully endured trials\add*. Tell the \add believers\add* who \add live in the house\add* of Aristobulus that I send my greetings to them.
|
||
\v 11 Also tell Herodion, who is my fellow Jew, that I send my greetings to him. Tell the same thing to those who \add live in the house\add* of Narcissus who belong to the Lord.
|
||
\v 12 Tell the same thing to Tryphaena and \add her sister\add* Tryphosa, who work hard for the Lord. I also send my greetings to Persis. \add We all\add* love her and she has worked very hard for the Lord.
|
||
\v 13 Tell Rufus, who is an outstanding Christian, that I send my greetings to him. \add Tell the same thing to\add* his mother, \add who has treated me as though\add* I \add were her son\add* [MET].
|
||
\v 14 Tell Asyncritus and Phlegon and Hermes and Patrobas and Hermas and the fellow believers who \add meet\add* with them that I am sending my greetings to them.
|
||
\v 15 I also send my greetings to Philologus, to \add his wife\add* Julia (OR, \add his sister\add* Julia), to Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas, and to all God's people who \add meet\add* with them.
|
||
\v 16 Greet one another affectionately, but in a pure way, \add when you gather together\add*. The \add believers in\add* all the Christian congregations [HYP] \add in this area ◄send their\add* greetings to/say they are thinking fondly of► you.
|
||
\s1 Note those who are causing quarrels among you and those who cause people to turn away from God. Avoid them, because they only want to satisfy their own desires and deceive those who do not suspect their motives. If you avoid such people, God will soon crush Satan under your feet.
|
||
\sr Romans 16:17-20
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 17 My fellow believers, I exhort you that you beware of those people who are causing divisions among you and who cause people to turn away \add from God\add* [MTY] \add because they teach things that\add* are contrary to the message \add about Christ\add* that you have learned (OR, that others taught you). Keep away from such people!
|
||
\v 18 They do not serve our Lord Christ! On the contrary, they only want to satisfy their own desires [MTY]! Also, by all the eloquent things that they say [DOU] they deceive the minds of those people who do not realize \add that their teaching is false\add*.
|
||
\v 19 \add Believers\add* everywhere know that you have paid attention to \add the good message about Christ\add*, with the result that I rejoice about you. But I also want you to be wise, \add with the result that you do\add* what is good. I also want you to avoid doing what is evil.
|
||
\v 20 \add If you avoid people who teach what is false\add*, what will \add soon happen\add* [MET] \add will be as though\add* God, who causes us to be peaceful, will be crushing Satan under your feet! \add I pray that\add* our Lord Jesus will continue to act kindly towards you.
|
||
\s1 Several of those who are with me send their greetings.
|
||
\sr Romans 16:21-23
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 21 Timothy, who works with me, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, who are my fellow Jews, \add want you to know that they are\add* ◄sending their greetings to/thinking fondly of► you.
|
||
\v 22 I, Tertius, \add one who belongs to\add* the Lord, \add also want you to know\add* that I am ◄sending my greetings to/thinking fondly of► you. \add I am writing this letter as Paul tells me what to write for him\add*.
|
||
\v 23-24 I, \add Paul\add*, am staying in the house of Gaius, and the whole congregation \add here meets\add* in his house. He \add also wants you to know\add* that he is ◄sending his greetings to/thinking fondly of► you. Erastus, the treasurer of \add this\add* city, also \add wants you to know that\add* he is ◄sending his greetings to/thinking fondly of► you. Our fellow believer Quartus also ◄sends his greetings to you./says he is thinking fondly of you.►\f + Some Greek manuscripts add v. 24, “May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to act kindly toward you all. Amen!/May it be so!”\f*
|
||
\s1 We should forever praise the One who alone is God, who alone is truly wise.
|
||
\sr Romans 16:25-27
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 25 As \add I\add* proclaim \add the good message about\add* Jesus Christ, \add I tell about God\add*, the one who is able to strengthen you \add spiritually\add*. I also proclaim the \add truth\add* that was not revealed {which \add God\add* did not reveal} in all previous ages/times
|
||
\v 26 but which has now been {which \add he\add* has now} revealed. \add I, along with others, have proclaimed\add* what the prophets wrote \add about Christ\add*. We are doing what the eternal God commanded \add us(exc)/me to do\add*. We want \add people in\add* all ethnic groups to know \add Christ\add* so that they can believe \add in him\add* and obey \add him\add*.
|
||
\v 27 \add I desire that by\add* Jesus Christ \add enabling us, we\add* will forever praise the one who alone is God, who alone is \add truly\add* wise. ◄May it be so!/Amen!►
|