< Romans 5 >
1 Therefore, having been pronounced righteous as the result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
2 It is through him that, by reason of our faith, we have obtained admission to that place in God’s favour in which we not stand. So let us exult in our hope of attaining God’s glorious ideal.
3 And not only that, but let us also exult in our troubles;
4 for we know that trouble develops endurance, and endurance strength of character, and strength of character hope,
5 and that ‘hope never disappoints.’ For the love of God has filled our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given us;
6 seeing that, while we were still powerless, Christ, in God’s good time, died on behalf of the godless.
7 Even for an upright man scarcely any one will die. For a really good man perhaps some one might even dare to die.
8 But God puts his love for us beyond all doubt by the fact that Christ died on our behalf while we were still sinners.
9 Much more, then, now that we have been pronounced righteous by virtue of the shedding of his blood, shall we be saved through him from the Wrath of God.
10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, much more, now that we have become reconciled, shall we be saved by virtue of Christ’s Life.
11 And not only that, but we exult in God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have now obtained this reconciliation.
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and through sin came death; so, also, death spread to all mankind, because all men had sinned.
13 Even before the time of the Law there was sin in the world; but sin cannot be charged against a man where no Law exists.
14 Yet, from Adam to Moses, Death reigned even over those whose sin was not a breach of a law, as Adam’s was. And Adam foreshadows the One to come.
15 But there is a contrast between Adam’s Offence and God’s gracious Gift. For, if by reason of the offence of the one man the whole race died, far more were the loving-kindness of God, and the gift given in the loving-kindness of the one man, Jesus Christ, lavished upon the whole race.
16 There is a contrast, too, between the gift and the results of the one man’s sin. The judgment, which followed upon the one man’s sin, resulted in condemnation, but God’s gracious Gift, which followed upon many offences, resulted in a decree of righteousness.
17 For if, by reason of the offence of the one man, Death reigned through that one man, far more will those, upon whom God’s loving-kindness and his gift of righteousness are lavished, find Life, and reign through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Briefly then, just as a single offence resulted for all mankind in condemnation, so, too, a single decree of righteousness resulted for all mankind in that declaration of righteousness which brings Life.
19 For, as through the disobedience of the one man the whole race was rendered sinful, so, too, through the obedience of the one, the whole race will be rendered righteous.
20 Law was introduced in order that offences might be multiplied. But, where sins were multiplied, the loving-kindness of God was lavished the more,
21 in order than, just as Sin had reigned in the realm of Death, so, too, might Loving-kindness reign through righteousness, and result in Immortal Life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. (aiōnios )
