translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: ROM

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.


text: Traditionally, “servant.” Though δοῦλος ( doulos ) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος ), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s “slave” or “servant” is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For someone who was Jewish this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times ( Isa 43:10 ), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses ( Josh 14:7 ), David ( Ps 89:3 ; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8 ) and Elijah ( 2 Kgs 10:10 ); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”


text: B 81 pc ). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred as slightly more difficult and thus more likely the original (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus,” especially in certain letters such as Romans, Galatians, and Philippians. As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. A decision is difficult, but “Christ Jesus” is slightly preferred.


text: Grk “a called apostle.”


text: The genitive in the phrase εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ ( euangelion qeou , “the gospel of God”) could be translated as (1) a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or (2) 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. However, in view of God’s action in v. 2 concerning this gospel, a subjective genitive notion (“the gospel which God brings”) is slightly preferred.


text: Grk “the gospel of God, which he promised.” Because of the length and complexity of this sentence in Greek, it was divided into shorter English sentences in keeping with contemporary English style. To indicate the referent of the relative pronoun (“which”), the word “gospel” was repeated at the beginning of v. 2 .


text: Grk “born of the seed” (an idiom).


text: Grk “according to the flesh,” indicating Jesus’ earthly life, a reference to its weakness. This phrase implies that Jesus was more than human; otherwise it would have been sufficient to say that he was a descendant of David, cf. L. Morris, Romans , 44.


text: Grk “spirit of holiness.” Some interpreters take the phrase to refer to Christ’s own inner spirit, which was characterized by holiness.


text: Or “by his resurrection.” Most interpreters see this as a reference to Jesus’ own resurrection, although some take it to refer to the general resurrection at the end of the age, of which Jesus’ resurrection is the first installment (cf. 1 Cor 15:23 ).


text: Grk “through whom.”


text: Some interpreters understand the phrase “grace and apostleship” as a hendiadys, translating “grace [i.e., gift] of apostleship.” The pronoun “our” is supplied in the translation to clarify the sense of the statement.


text: Grk “and apostleship for obedience.”


text: The phrase ὑπακοὴν πίστεως has been variously understood as (1) an objective genitive (a reference to the Christian faith, “obedience to [the] faith”); (2) a subjective genitive (“the obedience faith produces [or requires]”); (3) an attributive genitive (“believing obedience”); or (4) as a genitive of apposition (“obedience, [namely] faith”) in which “faith” further defines “obedience.” These options are discussed by C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans (ICC), 1:66. Others take the phrase as deliberately ambiguous; see D. B. Garlington, “The Obedience of Faith in the Letter to the Romans: Part I: The Meaning of ὑπακοὴ πίστεως ( Rom 1:5; 16:26 ),” WTJ 52 (1990): 201-24.


text: Grk “among whom you also are called.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation. The NIV, with its translation “And you also are among those who are called,” takes the phrase ἐν οἳς ἐστε to refer to the following clause rather than the preceding, so that the addressees of the letter (“you also”) are not connected with “all the Gentiles” mentioned at the end of v. 5 . It is more likely, however, that the relative pronoun οἳς has τοῖς ἔθνεσιν as its antecedent, which would indicate that the church at Rome was predominantly Gentile.


text: Grk “called of Jesus Christ.”


text: For location see JP4-A1 .


text: Although the first part of v. 7 is not a complete English sentence, it maintains the “From…to” pattern used in all the Pauline letters to indicate the sender and the recipients. Here, however, there are several intervening verses (vv. 2-6 ), which makes the first half of v. 7 appear as an isolated sentence fragment.


text: Grk “Grace to you and peace.”


text: Grk “First.” Paul never mentions a second point, so J. B. Phillips translated “I must begin by telling you….”


text: Grk “whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel.”


text: Grk “as.”


text: Grk “remember you, always asking.”


text: Grk “succeed in coming to you in the will of God.”


text: Grk “that is, to be comforted together with you through the faith in one another.”


text: Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [ adelfoi ] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).


text: Grk “in order that I might have some fruit also among you just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.”


text: Or “obligated.”


text: Or “willing, ready”; Grk “so my eagerness [is] to preach…” The word πρόθυμος ( proqumo" , “eager, willing”) is used only elsewhere in the NT in Matt 26:41 = Mark 14:38 : “the spirit indeed is willing ( πρόθυμος ), but the flesh is weak.”


text: The nature of the “righteousness” described here and the force of the genitive θεοῦ (“of God”) which follows have been much debated. (1) Some (e.g. C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:98) understand “righteousness” to refer to the righteous status given to believers as a result of God’s justifying activity, and see the genitive “of God” as a genitive of source (= “from God”). (2) Others see the “righteousness” as God’s act or declaration that makes righteous (i.e., justifies) those who turn to him in faith, taking the genitive “of God” as a subjective genitive (see E. Käsemann, Romans , 25-30). (3) Still others see the “righteousness of God” mentioned here as the attribute of God himself, understanding the genitive “of God” as a possessive genitive (“God’s righteousness”).


text: Grk “in it”; the referent (the gospel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “by faith for faith,” or “by faith to faith.” There are many interpretations of the phrase ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν ( ek pistew" ei" pistin ). It may have the idea that this righteousness is obtained by faith ( ἐκ πίστεως ) because it was designed for faith ( εἰς πίστιν ). For a summary see J. Murray, Romans (NICNT), 1:363-74.


text: The genitive ἀνθρώπων could be taken as an attributed genitive, in which case the phase should be translated “against all ungodly and unrighteous people” (cf. “the truth of God” in v. 25 which is also probably an attributed genitive). C. E. B. Cranfield takes the section 1:18-32 to refer to all people (not just Gentiles), while 2:1-3:20 points out that the Jew is no exception ( Romans [ICC], 1:104-6; 1:137-38).


text: “Their” is implied in the Greek, but is supplied because of English style.


text: Or “by means of unrighteousness.” Grk “in (by) unrighteousness.”


text: Grk “is manifest to/in them.”


text: Grk “they”; the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “heart.”


text: The participle φάσκοντες ( faskonte" ) is used concessively here.


text: Grk “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God in likeness of an image of corruptible man.” Here there is a wordplay on the Greek terms ἄφθαρτος ( afqarto" , “immortal, imperishable, incorruptible”) and φθαρτός ( fqarto" , “mortal, corruptible, subject to decay”).


text: The genitive articular infinitive τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι ( tou atimazesqai , “to dishonor”) has been taken as (1) an infinitive of purpose; (2) an infinitive of result; or (3) an epexegetical (i.e., explanatory) infinitive, expanding the previous clause.


text: Grk “among them.”


text: Grk “who.” 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.


text: Grk “the lie.”


text: Or “creature, created things.”


text: Grk “for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is contrary to nature.” The term χρῆσις ( crhsi" ) has the force of “sexual relations” here (L&N 23.65).


text: Grk “likewise so also the males abandoning the natural function of the female.”


text: Grk “burned with intense desire” (L&N 25.16).


text: Grk “another, men committing…and receiving,” continuing the description of their deeds. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “and just as they did not approve to have God in knowledge.”


text: Grk “the things that are improper.”


text: Grk “being filled” or “having been filled,” referring to those described in v. 28 . Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “malice, full of,” continuing the description. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Or “promise-breakers.”


text: Grk “who, knowing…, not only do them but also approve…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.


text: Grk “are worthy of death.”