Romans - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 1177

3-6 ROMANS. should we not conclude that the anger- humanly. Neverlforthenhowcould 7 God judge the world? For if God could by my falsehood be exalted to His honour, how could I be con-

8 demned as a wrong·doer? And should not we, as we are libelled, and as certain people accuse us of teaching, do evil that good might come? Their reprobation is right. Well, then, we are the superior?’ Not at all ! For we have

all, both ]ew• and Greek, decided to 10 serve sin, as it is written: XI I2 16 18 20 21 22 THAT THERE IS NOT ONE RIGHT- EOUS——NOT ONE. NO ONE IS INTELLIGENT, Noun is snsxmo our Gon. ALL HAVE LEFT THE RANKSQ QUITE INEFFICIENT; NONE ARE OF USE—NOT EVEN own.! _ THEIR THROAT IS A YAWNING GRAVE} THEY DECEIVE BY THEIR WORDS; AVIPER°S VENOM IS UNDER THEIR Lips ; 3 THEIR MOUTH IS FULL OF MIS- CHIEF AND BITTERNESS. THEIR FEET SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD ; DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR WAYS; AND THEY WILL NOT RECOGNISE A PEACEFUL PATH. THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES. ‘And we know that what the Law

says, it says to those under the law; so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may come under judgment to God. Therefore by the practice of a ritual, none can be made righteous in His presence; yet, how- ever, a recognition of sin comes by means of law. ‘ But now, without :1 ritual, a Divine

righteousness is exhibited, attested by the law and the prophets; pa Divine righteousness by means of a Faith from jesus Christ, to all believers; for there is no distinction ; because all sin, and are in need of rectification from God. They are made righteous freely by His gift through the redemp- 1 Psa. xiv. 1—3. §I’sa._v. g. I Psa. cxl. 3. | Psa, x. 7. 6 Isa. lix. 7,8 ° Psa. xxxvi. 1. tion which is in Christ jesus; Whom 25 God has set forward as a mercy·seat, through faith in His blood, to show His righteousness through the pardon of past sins by the gentleness of God ; and to display His righteousness at 26 this present time, so that He might be righteous Himself, and make the believer in jesus righteous as well. By what law? By the NoI but by alaw of faith.

Therefore we have argued that a man may be righteous by a faith distinct from a law of rituals. only, not of heathens. Yes, of heathens as well !

For it is the same God Who makes circumcision righteous from a faith, and paganism through the faith. ‘Then,’ you will say, ‘we destroy law for the sake of the faith ?’ Never! On the contrary, we corro- borate law. What shall we say, then,

that our ancestor Abraham attained to in the course of his life. For if Abraham were made righteous by rituals, he had ground for boast- But not before God! For

what says the Scripture? ABRAHAM TRUSTED 1*0 GOD, AND 11* WAS PAID T0 HIM IN RIGHTEOUSNESSJ But to a labourer the wages are not paid as a kindness, but as a debt;,whi1e to him who practised no ritual, but con- fided on Him Who makes the sinful righteous, his faith was paid with righteousness. As David, indeed, also relates the happiness of the man to whom God grants righteousness apart from rituals: THEY ARE HAPPY WHOSE VIOLA- TIONS OF THE LAW ARE FOR- GIVEN, AND WI-IOSE SINS ARE OBLITER- ATED Q HAPPY THE MAN WHOSE SINS THE LORD WILL NOT REPAY. ‘ This happiness, therefore, belongs

to the circumcised and the pagan ; for we argue that to Abraham his faith was repaid with righteousness.'

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1 Genesis xv. 6. * Psa. xxxii. I, 2. 1177