Roma 4:1-25
Konteks4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, 1 has discovered regarding this matter? 2 4:2 For if Abraham was declared righteous 3 by the works of the law, he has something to boast about – but not before God. 4:3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited 4 to him as righteousness.” 5 4:4 Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. 6 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, 7 his faith is credited as righteousness.
4:6 So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
4:7 “Blessed 8 are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
4:8 blessed is the one 9 against whom the Lord will never count 10 sin.” 11
4:9 Is this blessedness 12 then for 13 the circumcision 14 or also for 15 the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 16 4:10 How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, 17 so that he would become 18 the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, 19 that they too could have righteousness credited to them. 4:12 And he is also the father of the circumcised, 20 who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. 21
4:13 For the promise 22 to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. 23 4:15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression 24 either. 4:16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, 25 with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, 26 who is the father of us all 4:17 (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). 27 He is our father 28 in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who 29 makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. 30 4:18 Against hope Abraham 31 believed 32 in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations 33 according to the pronouncement, 34 “so will your descendants be.” 35 4:19 Without being weak in faith, he considered 36 his own body as dead 37 (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 4:20 He 38 did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 4:21 He was 39 fully convinced that what God 40 promised he was also able to do. 4:22 So indeed it was credited to Abraham 41 as righteousness.
4:23 But the statement it was credited to him 42 was not written only for Abraham’s 43 sake, 4:24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 4:25 He 44 was given over 45 because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of 46 our justification. 47
Roma 15:1-33
Konteks15:1 But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves. 48 15:2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to build him up. 15:3 For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 49 15:4 For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. 15:5 Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another 50 in accordance with Christ Jesus, 15:6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:7 Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. 15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised 51 on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 52 15:9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. 53 As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” 54 15:10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” 55 15:11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.” 56 15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.” 57 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, 58 so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
15:14 But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, 59 that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. 15:15 But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve 60 the gospel of God 61 like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering, 62 sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
15:17 So I boast 63 in Christ Jesus about the things that pertain to God. 15:18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience 64 of the Gentiles, by word and deed, 15:19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 15:20 And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, 15:21 but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” 65
15:22 This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you. 15:23 But now there is nothing more to keep me 66 in these regions, and I have for many years desired 67 to come to you 15:24 when I go to Spain. For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me 68 on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
15:25 But now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints. 15:26 For Macedonia and Achaia are pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 15:27 For they were pleased to do this, and indeed they are indebted to the Jerusalem saints. 69 For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are obligated also to minister to them in material things. 15:28 Therefore after I have completed this and have safely delivered this bounty to them, 70 I will set out for Spain by way of you, 15:29 and I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of Christ’s blessing.
15:30 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, 71 through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf. 15:31 Pray 72 that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 15:32 so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 15:33 Now may the God of peace be with all of you. Amen. 73
[4:1] 1 tn Or “according to natural descent” (BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4).
[4:2] 3 tn Or “was justified.”
[4:3] 4 tn The term λογίζομαι (logizomai) occurs 11 times in this chapter (vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24). In secular usage it could (a) refer to deliberations of some sort, or (b) in commercial dealings (as virtually a technical term) to “reckoning” or “charging up a debt.” See H. W. Heidland, TDNT 4:284, 290-92.
[4:3] 5 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[4:4] 6 tn Grk “not according to grace but according to obligation.”
[4:5] 7 tn Or “who justifies the ungodly.”
[4:8] 9 tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”
[4:8] 10 tn The verb translated “count” here is λογίζομαι (logizomai). It occurs eight times in Rom 4:1-12, including here, each time with the sense of “place on someone’s account.” By itself the word is neutral, but in particular contexts it can take on a positive or negative connotation. The other occurrences of the verb have been translated using a form of the English verb “credit” because they refer to a positive event: the application of righteousness to the individual believer. The use here in v. 8 is negative: the application of sin. A form of the verb “credit” was not used here because of the positive connotations associated with that English word, but it is important to recognize that the same concept is used here as in the other occurrences.
[4:8] 11 sn A quotation from Ps 32:1-2.
[4:9] 14 sn See the note on “circumcision” in 2:25.
[4:9] 16 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[4:11] 17 tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”
[4:11] 18 tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.
[4:11] 19 tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”
[4:12] 20 tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”
[4:12] 21 tn Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”
[4:13] 22 sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:13).
[4:14] 23 tn Grk “rendered inoperative.”
[4:16] 25 tn Grk “that it might be according to grace.”
[4:16] 26 tn Grk “those who are of the faith of Abraham.”
[4:17] 27 tn Verses 16-17 comprise one sentence in Greek, but this has been divided into two sentences due to English requirements.
[4:17] sn A quotation from Gen 17:5. The quotation forms a parenthesis in Paul’s argument.
[4:17] 28 tn The words “He is our father” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to show that they resume Paul’s argument from 16b. (It is also possible to supply “Abraham had faith” here [so REB], taking the relative clause [“who is the father of us all”] as part of the parenthesis, and making the connection back to “the faith of Abraham,” but such an option is not as likely [C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:243].)
[4:17] 29 tn “The God” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[4:17] 30 tn Or “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” The translation of ὡς ὄντα (Jw" onta) allows for two different interpretations. If it has the force of result, then creatio ex nihilo is in view and the variant rendering is to be accepted (so C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:244). A problem with this view is the scarcity of ὡς plus participle to indicate result (though for the telic idea with ὡς plus participle, cf. Rom 15:15; 1 Thess 2:4). If it has a comparative force, then the translation given in the text is to be accepted: “this interpretation fits the immediate context better than a reference to God’s creative power, for it explains the assurance with which God can speak of the ‘many nations’ that will be descended from Abraham” (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 282; so also W. Sanday and A. C. Headlam, Romans [ICC], 113). Further, this view is in line with a Pauline idiom, viz., verb followed by ὡς plus participle (of the same verb or, in certain contexts, its antonym) to compare present reality with what is not a present reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:7; 5:3; 7:29, 30 (three times), 31; Col 2:20 [similarly, 2 Cor 6:9, 10]).
[4:18] 31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:18] 32 tn Grk “who against hope believed,” referring to Abraham. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[4:18] 33 sn A quotation from Gen 17:5.
[4:18] 34 tn Grk “according to that which had been spoken.”
[4:18] 35 sn A quotation from Gen 15:5.
[4:19] 36 tc Most
[4:19] 37 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א A C D Ψ 33 Ï bo) have ἤδη (hdh, “already”) at this point in v. 19. But B F G 630 1739 1881 pc lat sa lack it. Since it appears to heighten the style of the narrative and since there is no easy accounting for an accidental omission, it is best to regard the shorter text as original. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.
[4:20] 38 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.
[4:21] 39 tn Grk “and being.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[4:21] 40 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:22] 41 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:23] 42 tn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[4:23] 43 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:25] 44 tn Grk “who,” referring to Jesus. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[4:25] 45 tn Or “handed over.”
[4:25] sn The verb translated given over (παραδίδωμι, paradidwmi) is also used in Rom 1:24, 26, 28 to describe God giving people over to sin. But it is also used frequently in the gospels to describe Jesus being handed over (or delivered up, betrayed) by sinful men for crucifixion (cf., e.g., Matt 26:21; 27:4; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33; 15:15; Luke 20:20; 22:24; 24:7). It is probable that Paul has both ideas in mind: Jesus was handed over by sinners, but even this betrayal was directed by the Father for our sake (because of our transgressions).
[4:25] 46 tn Grk “because of.” However, in light of the unsatisfactory sense that a causal nuance would here suggest, it has been argued that the second διά (dia) is prospective rather than retrospective (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 288-89). The difficulty of this interpretation is the structural balance that both διά phrases provide (“given over because of our transgressions…raised because of our justification”). However the poetic structure of this verse strengthens the likelihood that the clauses each have a different force.
[4:25] 47 sn Many scholars regard Rom 4:25 to be poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage.
[15:1] 48 tn Grk “and not please ourselves.” NT Greek negatives used in contrast like this are often not absolute, but relative: “not so much one as the other.”
[15:3] 49 sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.
[15:5] 50 tn Grk “grant you to think the same among one another.”
[15:8] 51 tn Grk “of the circumcision”; that is, the Jews.
[15:8] 52 tn Or “to the patriarchs.”
[15:9] 53 tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.
[15:9] 54 sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.
[15:10] 55 sn A quotation from Deut 32:43.
[15:11] 56 sn A quotation from Ps 117:1.
[15:12] 57 sn A quotation from Isa 11:10.
[15:13] 58 tn Grk “in the believing” or “as [you] believe,” with the object “him” supplied from the context. The referent could be God (15:13a) or Christ (15:12).
[15:14] 59 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
[15:16] 60 tn Grk “serving.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but in keeping with contemporary English style, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[15:16] 61 tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself.
[15:16] 62 tn Grk “so that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable.” This could be understood to refer to an offering belonging to the Gentiles (a possessive genitive) or made by the Gentiles (subjective genitive), but more likely the phrase should be understood as an appositive genitive, with the Gentiles themselves consisting of the offering (so J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC 38], 2:860). The latter view is reflected in the translation “so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering.”
[15:17] 63 tc ‡ After οὖν (oun), several important Alexandrian and Western
[15:17] tn Grk “Therefore I have a boast.”
[15:18] 64 tn Grk “unto obedience.”
[15:21] 65 sn A quotation from Isa 52:15.
[15:23] 66 tn Grk “now no longer having a place…I have.”
[15:23] 67 tn Grk “but having a desire…for many years.”
[15:24] 68 tn Grk “and to be helped by you.” The passive construction was changed to an active one in the translation.
[15:27] 69 tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the Jerusalem saints) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[15:28] 70 tn Grk “have sealed this fruit to them.”
[15:30] 71 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
[15:31] 72 tn Verses 30-31 form one long sentence in the Greek but have been divided into two distinct sentences for clarity in English.
[15:33] 73 tc Some
