Study Desk

What then shall we say that Abraham, ^[a]our forefather ^(a)according to the flesh, has found?

For if Abraham was justified ^[b]by works, he has something to boast about, but ^(b)not ^[c]before God.

For what does the Scripture say? "^(c) Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness ."

Now to the one who ^(d)works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

But to the one who does not work, but ^(e)believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

"^(f) Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven , And whose sins have been covered .

"^(g) Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not ^(h) take into account ."

Is this blessing then on ^[d](i)the circumcised, or on ^[e]the uncircumcised also? For ^(j)we say, "^(k) Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness ."

How then was it credited? While he was ^[f]circumcised, or ^[g]uncircumcised? Not while ^[h]circumcised, but while ^[i]uncircumcised;

and he ^(l)received the sign of circumcision, ^(m)a seal of the righteousness of the faith which ^[j]he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be ⁽ⁿ⁾the father of ^(o)all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,

and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which ^[k]he had while uncircumcised.

For ^(p)the promise to Abraham or to his ^[l]descendants ^(q)that he would be heir of the world was not ^[m]through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

For ^(r)if those who are ^[n]of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;

for ^(s)the Law brings about wrath, but ^(t)where there is no law, there also is no violation.

For this reason it is ^[o]by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with ^(u)grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to ^(v)all the ^[p]descendants, not only to ^[q]those who are of the Law, but also to ^[r](w)those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is ^(x)the father of us all,

(as it is written, "^(y)A father of many nations have I made you ") in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, ^(z)who gives life to the dead and ^[s](aa)calls into being ^(ab)that which does not exist.

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become ^(ac)a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "^(ad) So shall your ^[t] descendants be ."

Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now ^(ae)as good as dead since ^(af)he was about a hundred years old, and ^(ag)the deadness of Sarah's womb;

yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, ^(ah)giving glory to God,

and ^(ai)being fully assured that ^(aj)what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

Therefore ^(ak) it was also credited to him as righteousness .

Now ^(al)not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,

but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those ^(am)who believe in Him who ^(an)raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

He who was ^(ao)delivered over because of our transgressions, and was ^(ap)raised because of our justification.

^(a)Therefore, having been justified by faith, ^[a](b)we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have ^(c)obtained our introduction by faith into this grace ^(d)in which we stand; and ^[b]we exult in hope of the glory of God.

^(e)And not only this, but ^[c]we also ^(f)exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about ^(g)perseverance;

and ^(h)perseverance, ⁽ⁱ⁾proven character; and proven character, hope;

and hope ^(j)does not disappoint, because the love of God has been ^(k)poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For while we were still ^(l)helpless, ^(m)at the right time ⁽ⁿ⁾Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; ^[d]though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.

But God ^(o)demonstrates ^(p)His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, ^(q)Christ died for us.

Much more then, having now been justified ^[e](r)by His blood, we shall be saved ^(s)from the wrath of God through Him.

For if while we were ^(t)enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved ^[f](u)by His life.

^(v)And not only this, ^[g]but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received ^(w)the reconciliation.

Therefore, just as through ^(x)one man sin entered into the world, and ^(y)death through sin, and ^(z)so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

for ^[h]until the Law sin was in the world, but ^(aa)sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned ^(ab)in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a ^[i](ac)type of Him who was to come.

But ^[j]the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of ^(ad)the one ^(ae)the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by ^(af)the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand ^(ag)the judgment arose from one transgression ^[k]resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions ^[l]resulting in justification.

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned ^(ah)through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will ^(ai)reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

So then as through ^(aj)one transgression ^[m]there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one ^(ak)act of righteousness ^[n]there resulted ^(al)justification of life to all men.

For as through the one man's disobedience ^(am)the many ^(an)were made sinners, even so through ^(ao)the obedience of the One ^(ap)the many will be made righteous.

^[o](aq)The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, ^(ar)grace abounded all the more,

so that, as ^(as)sin reigned in death, even so ^(at)grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

^(a)What shall we say then? Are we to ^(b)continue in sin so that grace may increase?

^(c)May it never be! How shall we who ^(d)died to sin still live in it?

Or do you not know that all of us who have been ^(e)baptized into ^(f)Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Therefore we have been ^(g)buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was ^(h)raised from the dead through the ⁽ⁱ⁾glory of the Father, so we too might walk in ^(j)newness of life.

For ^(k)if we have become ^[a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[b]in the likeness of His resurrection,

knowing this, that our ^(l)old ^[c]self was ^(m)crucified with Him, in order that our ⁽ⁿ⁾body of sin might be ^[d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

for ^(o)he who has died is ^[e]freed from sin.

Now ^(p)if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

knowing that Christ, having been ^(q)raised from the dead, ^[f]is never to die again; ^(r)death no longer is master over Him.

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Even so consider yourselves to be ^(s)dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin ^(t)reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

and do not go on ^(u)presenting ^[g]the members of your body to sin as ^[h]instruments of unrighteousness; but ^(v)present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as ^[i]instruments of righteousness to God.

For ^(w)sin shall not ^(x)be master over you, for ^(y)you are not under law but ^(z)under grace.

What then? ^(aa)Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? ^(ab)May it never be!

Do you not ^(ac)know that when you present yourselves to someone as ^(ad)slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of ^(ae)sin ^[j]resulting in death, or of obedience ^[k]resulting in righteousness?

But ^(af)thanks be to God that ^[l]though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that ^(ag)form of teaching to which you were committed,

and having been ^(ah)freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

^(ai)I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just ^(aj)as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, ^[m]resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, ^[n]resulting in sanctification.

For ^(ak)when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore what ^[o](al)benefit were you then ^[p]deriving ^[q]from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is ^(am)death.

But now having been ^(an)freed from sin and ^(ao)enslaved to God, you ^[r]derive your ^[s](ap)benefit, ^[t]resulting in sanctification, and ^(aq)the outcome, eternal life.

For the wages of ^(ar)sin is death, but the free gift of God is ^(as)eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Or do you not know, ^(a)brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

For ^(b)the married woman is bound by law to her ^[a]husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law ^[b]concerning the husband.

So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

Therefore, my brethren, you also were ^(c)made to die ^(d)to the Law ^(e)through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

For while we were ^(f)in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were ^(g)aroused by the Law, were at work ^(h)in ^[c]the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

But now we have been ⁽ⁱ⁾released from the Law, having ^(j)died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in ^(k)newness of ^(l)the ^[d]Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

^(m)What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? ⁽ⁿ⁾May it never be! On the contrary, ^(o)I would not have come to know sin except ^[e]through the Law; for I would not have known about ^[f]coveting if the Law had not said, "^(p) You shall not ^[g] covet ."

But sin, ^(q)taking opportunity ^(r)through the commandment, produced in me ^[h]coveting of every kind; for ^(s)apart ^[i]from the Law sin is dead.

I was once alive apart ^[j]from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;

and this commandment, which was ^[k](t)to result in life, proved ^[l]to result in death for me;

for sin, ^(u)taking an opportunity ^(v)through the commandment, ^(w)deceived me and through it killed me.

^(x)So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? ^(y)May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

For we know that the Law is ^(z)spiritual, but I am ^(aa)of flesh, ^(ab)sold ^[m](ac)into bondage to sin.

For what I am doing, ^(ad)I do not understand; for I am not practicing ^(ae)what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with ^(af)the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

So now, ^(ag)no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my ^(ah)flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

For ^(ai)the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, ^(aj)I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then ^(ak)the ^[n]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

For I joyfully concur with the law of God ^[o]in ^(al)the inner man,

but I see ^(am)a different law in ^[p]the members of my body, waging war against the ^(an)law of my mind and making me a prisoner ^[q]of ^(ao)the law of sin which is in my members.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from ^[r](ap)the body of this ^(aq)death?

^(ar)Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh ^(as)the law of sin.