8:33a
Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?: This is a rhetorical question. It emphasizes that no one will be able to accuse God’s elect of wrongdoing. The Greek is in the future tense. It implies that at no time will anyone be able to stand before God as judge and accuse believers of wrongdoing. Translate this clause with that meaning. Here are some ways:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? (God’s Word)
-or-
Who can accuse the people God has chosen? (New Century Version)
• As a statement. For example:
No one will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen.
-or-
No one can bring any charge against the people God has chosen!
bring any charge against: This phrase refers to accusing someone of wrongdoing before a judge. See the examples above.
God’s elect: The word elect refers to people whom someone has chosen. God chose people to be his children. They are the believers. See the examples above.
8:33b
It is God who justifies: The Greek is literally “God (is) the one justifying.” As a response to the rhetorical question of 8:33a, it indicates that God has forgiven believers and declared them right with him and not guilty regarding all their sins. Translate with that meaning. For example:
God is the one who justifies (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Because God is the one who counts us as righteous.
justifies: Here this word indicates that God decides that a person is not guilty of any wrongdoing and is in a right relationship with him. Here are other ways to translate this word:
declares righteous/innocent
-or-
gives the verdict of not guilty ⌊to us⌋
See how you translated this word in 2:13 or 8:30.
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