ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE

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THE ROMANS.

PAUL, a bondsman of Jesus Christ, a called Apostle, 1 1 set apart to make known God's glad tidings, sends greeting to all God's beloved ones at Rome, holy brethren who have been called. Those glad tidings 2 God promised aforetime by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures about His Son-Who as to His Human Nature 3 came of David's race; and as to His Spirit of Holiness 4 was in the exercise of power marked out to be the Son of God in consequence of the resurrection of the deadJesus Christ our Lord. Through Him I received grace 5 and an apostleship among all the nations for His Name's sake, to bring them to the obedience which is the fruit of faith among whom ye also are called ones of Jesus 6 Christ's. Grace be to you and peace from God our 7 Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you 8 all, that your faith is spoken of in all the world. For 9 God, Whom in my spirit I worship in making known the glad tidings of His Son, is my Witness how unceasingly I make mention of you, ever at my prayers 10 making request, in the hope that, by some means or

other after all, a way will one day be opened for me in 11 the will of God to come unto you. For I am longing to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual

gift in order that ye may be made stedfast; that is to 12 say, that we may be comforted together while I am 13 with you, I by your faith, you by mine. But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you (and was hindered from doing so) up to the present hour, that I might have some fruit among you too, as also among the other nations. 14 Civilised and uncivilised, wise and foolish, alike have a 15 claim upon me; so I am ready, as far as it rests with me, to make known the glad tidings, even to you, who are at Rome.

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For I am not ashamed of the glad tidings, seeing that everyone who has faith, a Jew especially, a Gentile also, finds in them a Divine Power, which brings him to sal17 vation. For in them there is being unveiled a divine righteousness, which springs from faith, and tends to increase faith; as it is written :-But he whose 18 righteousness springs from faith shall live. There is also being unveiled a divine wrath from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in unrighteousness hold down the truth. Hold 19 down the truth, I say, because that which is known of God is manifest among them; for God made it mani20 fest to them: seeing that His everlasting Power and Divinity-things which the eye doth not see-ever since the creation of the world are perceived, being understood from the things He has made; so that they 21 may be without excuse. Because they knew God, and yet gave Him not glory as God, neither were thankful,

but were made vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened: affirming that they were wise, 22 they were made fools; and changed the glory of the God 23 Who perisheth not, setting Him forth in the likeness of perishing man, and of birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. And therefore God also gave them 24 up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies might be put to a vile use among them; inasmuch as they perverted in their untruthfulness the 25 truth God had taught them about Himself, and gave reverence and worship to the thing made, rather than to Him Who made it, Who is blessed for ever, Amen. For this cause God gave them up to shameful passions; 26 for their women, and in like manner also the men, 27 sinning against the laws of their own nature, made themselves vile, and reaped in their own persons such fruit as it was fitting they should reap, from their error in perverting the truth of God. And as they did 28 not think good to keep God in knowledge, God gave them over to a good-for-nothing mind, so that they do things which it is not seemly to do; having been filled 29 with unrighteousness of every kind, with villany, with covetousness, with vice; being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness; whisperers, slanderers, hated 30 of God, insolent, overbearing, vainglorious, plotters of evil things, disobedient to parents, without moral sense, 31 unfaithful to their plighted word, without natural affection, merciless, men who have a knowledge of God's 32 righteous judgment, which pronounces all who practise such things to be worthy of death, and yet not only do them, but also are well pleased with those who practise them.

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Wherefore thou art without excuse, O man, whosoever thou art, who judgest others; seeing that thou condemnest thyself in the very matter for which thou art judging thy fellow; for thou, who judgest, art 2 practising the same things. And yet we are sure that the judgment of God is in accordance with the true nature of their deeds against those who practise such 3 things. But, O man, who judgest those that practise

such things, and yet doest them, dost thou reckon upon this, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 or dost thou make light of His Goodness and Forbearance and Longsuffering, because they are so richly abundant, in ignorance that God's Goodness is leading thee 5 to repentance? Whereas, true to thine own hardness and unrepentant heart, thou art treasuring up for thyself wrath in a day of wrath—a day which will make 6 manifest that God judgeth righteously, Who will give 7 to every man that which his deeds have deserved. To those who by patient endurance in a good work are seeking eternal life, He will give glory and honour and 8 incorruptibility: whereas to those who are of a selfseeking spirit, and obey not the truth, but make unrighteousness their law, anger and wrath will be 9 shown. Tribulation and anguish there will be upon

every man whose works are evil-upon Jew first, upon 10 Gentile also. But glory and honour and peace for every

one who worketh good-for Jew first, for Gentile too. 11 Seeing that God favours not one person more than 12 another. For as many as shall have sinned without a law,

without a law will also perish; and as many as shall have 13 sinned under a law, by a law will be judged. Since they are not righteous in God's sight who are mere

hearers of a law, but they will be accounted righteous who do what law requires of them. For when Gen- 14 tiles, who have not a law, do naturally the things which the law requires, they, though they have not a law, are unto themselves a law; inasmuch as they 15 show the result which the law aims at, written in their hearts their conscience and their reasonings one with another, while making accusation or even defence, agreeing in their witness together in the day, when 16 God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, as we are assured by the glad tidings I make known.

But if thou callest thyself a Jew, and reliest upon a 17 law, and gloriest in God, and knowest His Will, and 18 approvest the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law; and if thou hast confidence that thou 19 thyself art a guide of blind people, a light of those who are in darkness, an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher 20 of babes, on the ground of your possessing in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth; then let me ask, Dost thou who teachest another not teach thyself? 21 dost thou steal who preachest that men should not steal? dost thou commit adultery who sayest men 22 should not commit adultery? dost thou who hast a horror of idols rob their temples? dost thou, who 23 gloriest in the law, by the transgression of the law dishonour God? For the Name of God because of you 24 is evil-spoken of among the Gentiles, as it is written. Verily it is profitable to have the outward mark of 25 God's people, if thou be a law-doer; but if thou be a law-breaker, though thou hast the outward mark, thou hast become an alien to His covenant. If then one who 26 is a stranger to that covenant keep the requirements

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