thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing, one another ;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel. 17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18 And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19 And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them, which are in darkness, 20 An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law. 21 Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege Pc 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.d c Sacrilege, robbery of temples. d As it is written, Isa. Lii. 5. Ezek. xxxvi. 20. profiteth. 25 For circumcision e verily profiteth if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision ? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision f dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh : 29 But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. CHAP. III. 1 The Jews' prerogative. 20 None justified by the law, but all by faith. WHAT advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? e Circumcision, was an ordinance of the ceremonial law, considered of so great importance, that the Jews imagined it alone entitled them to the favour of God; but in the last verses of this chapter Paul assures them, that neither being a Jew outwardly, nor any external ceremony would avail any thing in securing their salvation. By the letter and circumcision, by external circumcision. The Jews' prerogative, &c. Chap iii. 2 Much every way; chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect ? 4 God forbid; yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man,) 6 God forbid; for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we bet ter than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is Of justification, &e. none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness : 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known : 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: 23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set but by faith only. 30 Seeing it is one God which shall justify the circumeision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.e Justification not by the law, Romans. 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay; but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faithc without the deeds of the law.d 29 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: e By a propitiation is meant, that by the appointment of God Christ died as a sacrifice for sin, & that God pardoned sin through the merits of that sacrifice. b Through faith in his blood as shed for the remission of sins. C c Fustified by faith; that faith by which men are justified, consists in a sincere disposition to believe every thing made known by God and by Christ, and to do every thing, which they have enjoined. d Without the deeds of the law; this does not mean, that we are under no obligation to obey the law; the striptures every where enjoin obedience as necessary to salvation; but the phrase means, that, since the obedience of the law is no less than perfect obedience, which no man can perform, he may through the grace of God be justified without it, by a sincere obedience accompanying faith. 31 Do we then make void ⚫the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law. CHAP. IV. 1 Abraham's faith was imputed to him for righteousness: 24 And so shall ours be. WHAT shall we then say that Abraham our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the e In verse 30 circumcision means the Jews, and uncircumcision, the Gentiles. The apostle in this verse shows, that seeing there is one God of the Jews and Gentiles, he will finally treat both by the same rule; he will justify the Jews by faith in the scriptures, which he has given them, and the Gentiles, by the law of faith; which consists in a sincere disposition to know and do the will of God so far, as it is taught by the light of nature. man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also Pa for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them also; 12 And the father of circumcision to them, who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father  a It should be remembered that the word circumcision here means the Jews, & uncircumcision, the Gentiles, that is, all nations except the Jews. The apostle is here showing, that the blessedness of pardon and forgive ness of sins, comes upon, or is extended to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, and for this reason; because Abraham's faith was accounted to him for righteousness, before he was circumcised. braham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they, which are of the law be heirs, faith is made. void, and the promise made of none effect. 15 Because the law worketh wrath; for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him, whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not, as though they were:b 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which bCalleth, or speaketh of those things which do not yet exist, as though they now really existed; for the promise to Abraham that he should be the father of many nations, was made when he was 100 and Sarah 90 years of age, and as yet they had no child; but Abraham believed God that it should be, even according to that, which was spoken. was spoken,So shall thy seed be. 19 And, being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: 21 And being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now, it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we be lieve on him, that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. CHAP. V. 1 Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. 12 Sin and death came by Adam, 17 righteousness and life by Christ. THEREFORE, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into his grace a wherein we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we a Into this gracious covenant of pardon and salvation by Jesus Christ, wherein we stand. Reconciliation glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope; 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 3 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the a tonement.b 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world; but sin is b Atonement, a state of reconciliation,and salvation, through the mediation, merits, and death of Christ |