In Greek verses 1 and 2 form one sentence. It is agreed that “in Christ” has the force of “in union with Christ” (Jerusalem Bible), and so the Good News Translation renders this phrase as a finite statement: I belong to Christ. It is possible either to connect this phrase with what precedes, what I say is true, as most translations do, or to connect it with what follows as the Good News Translation does (see also Jerusalem Bible).

It is necessary to avoid the implication that what Paul declares as being true is merely the fact that he belongs to Christ. The content of what is true begins with verse 2. In order to avoid a wrong relation of ideas, it is possible to translate the first sentence of verse 1 as “what I say is true; I do not lie, because I belong to Christ.”

The Good News Translation attempts to make clear the meaning of Paul’s phrase “in the Holy Spirit” and so translates as ruled by the Holy Spirit. The New English Bible renders this phrase “enlightened by the Holy Spirit” and An American Translation* “under the holy Spirit’s influence.”

Paul is here appealing to three witnesses (his own conscience, his union with Jesus Christ, and his union with the Holy Spirit) which assure him that he is not lying. The Good News Translation (so also New English Bible and Jerusalem Bible) makes this information clear, but a translation such as the Revised Standard Version (“my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow…”) suggests that Christ is a witness to the fact that Paul is not lying, while his conscience and the Holy Spirit are witnesses to the fact that he has great sorrow in his heart. This does not seem to be what Paul is saying. Verse 2 actually introduces the content of the assertion in verse 1, to which Christ, his conscience, and the Holy Spirit bear witness that he is not lying.

The phrase ruled by the Holy Spirit may be translated as “which the Holy Spirit ruled” or “which the Holy Spirit controlled.”

Assures may be rendered as “tells me with confidence,” “says strongly,” or even “says that it is surely true that I am not lying.”

Conscience may be variously translated, depending upon the particular set of associations connected with certain terms or phrases—for example, “my heart,” “my innermost,” “that which speaks within me,” or “the voice in my heart.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .